Politics

After Seven Weeks of GOP Delay, Unemployment Compensation Finally On Its Way

By Karina

By a vote of 272-152, this afternoon the House passed Senate amendments to the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act which the Senate passed last night. This emergency legislation will extend unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to millions of Americans families, which Republicans have held up for more than 7 weeks causing more than 2.5 million families to lose their lifeline that they have earned through their work.

Speaker Pelosi in support of passage:

During the floor debate, Congressional Republicans continued to use tired and false arguments against unemployment benefits. These are the same Congressional Republicans who ? instead of supporting middle-class Americans as they look for work ? support nearly $700 billion in deficit-busting Bush tax cuts for the wealthy few without paying for them, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. Here?s what the unemployment insurance bill will do for American workers and families:

1. Provide benefits to millions of Americans that they have earned through a lifetime of work, after years of failed Bush economic policies that cost Americans 8 million jobs.

2. Stimulate the economy and create jobs ? in a cost-effective way.

3. Economists agree that extending these benefits will decrease the chances of slipping into a double dip recession.

The Speaker’s full remarks: (more…)

Full post as published by The Gavel on July 22, 2010 (boomark / email).