As Democrats slowly overcome Republican opposition to a measure that might lengthen emergency unemployment insurance coverage advantages, President Obama took to the airwaves Tuesday morning to make the case for the measure. Speaking from the East Room of the White House, surrounded with the aid of one of the vital Americans who have lost their benefits, the President took a moment towards the end of the speech to take on comments that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) made on ABC’s This Week on Sunday.

Without naming Paul, the President described the Senator’s comments. “I have heard the argument that says extending unemployment insurance will somehow hurt the unemployed, as a result of it saps their motivation to get a new job,” the President stated, and paused for effect. To applause from the room, he brought “I truly need to — I need to go at this for a 2nd.”

“That in point of fact sells the American people brief,” the President endured. “I meet lots of people, as President of america and as candidate for President of the USA and as a US senator and state senator. I meet a lot of people. And I can’t name a time once I met an American who would reasonably have an unemployment test than the delight of getting a job.”

“The long-time period unemployed are not lazy. They don’t seem to be missing in motivation. They are dealing with the aftermath of the worst economic main issue in generations,” President Obama brought, announcing “It’s arduous in the market. There are a variety of chums, a lot of our neighbors who have lost their jobs, and they are working their tails off every day trying to find a brand new job.”

right Here’s that portion of the speech, from C-Span:

And right here is video of the entire speech, by means of C-Span: