FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    Contact: Adriana Surfas
Wednesday, June 11, 2008                           (202) 225-3661     

DeLauro Presses for Unemployment Benefits Extension

Will Help Working Families and Stimulate Economy

Washington , D.C. – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) issued the following statement after House Republicans brought down an effort to provide long-overdue relief to 3.8 million unemployed workers by immediately extending unemployment benefits in every state. In May the number of people looking for work climbed 861,000 to 8.5 million and to date 324,000 jobs have been shed in the first five months of this year.  Nearly one in five workers (1.6 million) is long-term unemployed – jobless for more than 26 weeks. The bill will be brought back to the House floor for a vote tomorrow under regular order.

“The American people are hurting, the economy continues to weaken and President Bush and his allies are content to sit on the sidelines and ignore this crisis,” said DeLauro. “On top of that Americans are face rising energy and health care costs and many families remain fearful of losing their homes.

“We had an opportunity today to offer some relief, as well as stimulate the economy. It was disappointing that a majority of House Republicans chose instead to support President Bush’s Veto threat and vote down this simple plan that would have provided temporary help to struggling Americans.”

Across the nation, Americans are now facing higher costs for basic necessities, unemployment is up, millions of families have lost their homes or value in their homes due to the housing crisis and 7 million more Americans are uninsured. Through March of 2009, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act would provide up to 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every state to workers who have exhausted the 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits and double that (26 additional weeks) for states with especially high unemployment rates.

On how extending unemployment benefits will help workers and the economy, DeLauro added, “Extending unemployment benefits is one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting ways to stimulate the economy because the money is spent quickly, according to the Congressional Budget Office.  Every $1 spent on unemployment benefits generates $1.64 in new economic demand.”

“It is incomprehensible that President Bush and his allies oppose our effort to help unemployed workers and to get our economy moving again. Regardless, my colleagues and I in Congress, however, refuse to accept more of the same and are committed to provide relief to America ’s working families.

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www.house.gov/delauro