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Chairman McDermott Again Passes Unemployment Insurance Benefits Extension
President Will Sign Legislation Soon November 5, 2009  Americans who already have or soon will exhaust their unemployment insurance benefits will quickly realize the benefit of legislation, H.R. 3548, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) passed by an overwhelmingly margin (403-12) in the House today to extend unemployment insurance benefits in all 50 states by 14 weeks and an additional 6 weeks in states where the unemployment rate is 8.5% or higher. McDermott is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the nation’s unemployment insurance program. “Despite positive signs we are seeing in the economy, it will take time to restore the jobs lost during the recession and this bill provides an economic lifeline for over one million Americans whose benefits have already run out or would have in coming weeks,” Rep. McDermott said. “These are benefits the American people deserve and have earned in the workforce.” McDermott originally passed an UI extender bill in late September; the Senate added additional states and other provisions. With today’s vote, the bill will be immediately sent to the White House and the President’s is expected to sign the bill into law in the next couple of days. While the legislation provides immediate help, McDermott said that Congress will need to act again before the end of the year to allow the extended UI benefits to continue into 2010. McDermott said, “We cannot forget that we’re not yet out of the woods; 6 people are competing for every available job and economists continue to project rising unemployment numbers and we cannot let people down just as they are beginning to get back on their feet.” The legislation passed in the House today also included a program to benefit small business and it extended and expanded the Homebuyer Tax Credit Program. The provision was added by the Senate, but weeks ago, the Seattle Democrat threw his support behind the Homebuyer Tax Credit Program. “The Homebuyer Tax Credit Program clearly has helped to stabilize America’s critical housing market and is nurturing a fragile comeback,” Rep. McDermott said. “Continuing and expanding the program for a few additional months reaffirms our commitment to the economic security of the American people.”
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