Emergency Unemployment Bill Hits House

Lawmakers Expected to Pass Legislation Extending Benefits 13 Weeks

(AP)  Despite predictions the Great Recession is running out of steam, the House is taking up emergency legislation this week to help the millions of Americans who see no immediate end to their economic miseries.

A bill offered by Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., and expected to pass easily would provide 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits for more than 300,000 jobless people who live in states with unemployment rates of at least 8.5 percent and who are scheduled to run out of benefits by the end of September.

The 13-week extension would supplement the 26 weeks of benefits most states offer and the federally funded extensions of up to 53 weeks that Congress approved in legislation last year and in the stimulus bill enacted last February.

People from North Carolina to California "have been calling my office to tell me they still cannot find work a year or more after becoming unemployed, and they need some additional help to keep their heads above water," McDermott said.

Critics of unemployment insurance argue that it can be a disincentive to looking for work, and that extending benefits at a time the economy is showing signs of recovery could be counterproductive.

But this recession has been particularly pernicious to the job market, others say.

Some 5 million people, about one-third of those on the unemployment list, have been without a job for six months or more, a record since data started being recorded in 1948, according to the research and advocacy group National Employment Law Project.

"It smashes any other figure we have ever seen. It is an unthinkable number," said Andrew Stettner, NELP's deputy director. He said there are currently about six jobless people for every job opening, so it's unlikely people are purposefully living off unemployment insurance while waiting for something better to come along.

The current state unemployment check is about $300 a month, supplemented by $25 included in the stimulus act.

That doesn't go very far when a loaf of bread can cost $2.79 and a gallon of milk $2.72, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said at a hearing last week on the unemployment insurance issue.

"We need to keep our unemployed neighbors from falling into poverty. We need to figure out how best to make our safety net work," Baucus said.

The jobless rate currently stands at 9.7 percent and is likely to hover above 10 percent for much of 2010. Gary Burtless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said at the Finance Committee hearing that, according to Labor Department figures, 51 percent of unemployment insurance claimants exhausted their regular benefits in July, the highest rate ever.

"It is likely the exhaustion rate will continue to increase in coming months" as the unemployment rate continues to rise, he said.

Stettner predicted that Congress will likely have to continue extending jobless benefits through 2011.

McDermott in July introduced a more ambitious bill that would have extended through 2010 the compensation programs included in the stimulus act. Those benefits are now scheduled to expire at the end of this year.

But with a price tag of up to $70 billion, that bill would have been far more difficult to pass. McDermott instead decided to offer the scaled-down 13-week extension to meet the urgent needs of those seeing their benefits disappear this year.

McDermott said his bill would not add to the deficit because it would extend for a year a federal unemployment tax of $14 per employee per year that employers have been paying for more than 30 years. It would also require better reporting on newly hired employees to reduce unemployment insurance overpayments.

Three-fourths of the 400,000 workers projected to exhaust their benefits this month live in high unemployment states that would qualify for the additional 13 weeks of benefits under his bill, McDermott said.

They include Alabama, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Other states could qualify for more benefits if their unemployment rates are approaching the 8.5 percent threshold.

[denise2013]

i would like to know if my unemployment stop last week will i be included in the new billunemployment bill

[KatieMcQuillen]

INSANITY.

[lnfinley]

I want to express how urgent the extension would mean to alot of single working mothers in the USA who lost jobs.1. we are the back bones of our family so when we have a steady lost of income not only will you "RICH PEOPLE" take a loss as well, but you will and have witness, HIGH CRIME RATE, HIGH VIOLENCE WITH OUR CHILDREN, MORE FORECLOSURES, HOMELESSNESS, MENTAL ILLNESS FROM DEPRESSION AND POSSIBLE SUICIDE! IF OBAMA CAN TAKE TIME TO FOCUS ON GAY RIGHTS (WHICH I AM FOR AS WELL, SENDING ANOTHER 40,0000 SOLDIERS TO TO DIE IN OTHER CONTRIES, AND SAYS HE'S FOR BUILDING THE ECOMOMY, HE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WITHOUT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THIS EXTENSION, THE SURVIVAL RATE OF OUR WOMEN, CHILDREN AND MEN IS ENDANGERED! PLEASE TAKE NOTE / THE BANKS & WHITE COLLAR POLITICS DROVE US TO THIS RECESSION NOT UNEMPLOYMENT!

[pww6399]

It was in the paper on Sept. 22 2009 that congress passed 13 extention, but haven,t heard any since then whats the hold up.

[Mohawk1995]

For those that wish to get on the subject of class warfare - I have a few questions - how much is enough money for a person to earn? Who gets to decide how much is enough? Do we put everyone on the same playing field and noone can make above a certain payscale? Do you really want to live in a society where your hard work is not rewarded? Do you want to work hard and then fork over your paycheck to someone who has never worked a day in their life? (BTW - don't hand me that part about they fell on hard times) The majority, and I mean the majority, (yes there are exceptions), but the majority of those out of work, have never worked a day in their lives, and want you to pay for their way in life. I am not talking about those that have just been laid off. Those that own their own companies worked hard for that position. I want to also know when was the last time a bum on the street signed your paycheck? You should be grateful that those that own those businesses sign your paycheck. Quit worrying about what other people make and worry about what the government is going to take from your pocket to give to that bum on the street. In the end, God will sort out this petty bickering, but until then, watch your lane, and watch the government thievery that is taking place from your paycheck. Your eyes will be opened...

[ShellyBean2333]

My husband has been out of work for 9 months. Ok, he's had several job offers but they pay about the same or less than his weekly unemployment benefit! We have to hold out for a job that pays over $10 an hour, I'm sure thats what many people on unemployment are doing. You can't pay the mortgage on minimum wage.

[midlclass]

good point! when is corperate america going to step up to the plate? offer better pay and beneifits. oh wait! there moneys need to go to themselves first.screw your worker for more time and less pay and then cry to the goverment that they need to be bailed out. typical conservitive idealology.

[vuenbelvue]

I think I just had a relevation. When I read chonder2 and drput45 this thought came to me. Dang Congress is smart. That are allocating the Tarp money so Wall Street types and heavy finance hitters and Bankers can get their raises and bonuses over a period of many years and never miss a bit. Pure genius.

[csurfer]

I live in one of the states mentioned, am employed, and have had 3 job offers over the last 3 months without even looking. I'm not saying all claims are not legite because some areas are depressed, but I see alot of free loaders around where I live and there's no motivation so long as that government check keeps coming.

[SkirtLifter]

by ianlou September 21, 2009 11:44 AM EDT
Welfare! Welfare! all these extra unemployment benifits is nothing more than Welfare!!!!

Opps, Sorry, I suffer from "Tea B****r Tourette Syndrome"
________________

Actually, it's not welfare. It's a bone. Throw the dog a bone. It's pandering. The profiteering continues in huge welfare payments to big corps TARP and such), huge bonuses to execs, and the working class get a bone...13 weeks of unemployment benefits that they already paid into.

doh!

[beeker252]

It is in line with my expectation that the unemployment benefit would continue because several months ago Professor Nouriel Roubini (AKA Dr Doom) said that the recession is ending but to aid the recovery, an extension of the unemployment should continue (13 more weeks- IMO). Currently many of the banks are still dealing with the mortgages they have on their books and on top of that other debts that people are defaulting on due to the job situations and this is from JPMC, and BOA when they issued their quarterly financial reports. As such we are still not out of the woods.

[ianlou]

Welfare! Welfare! all these extra unemployment benifits is nothing more than Welfare!!!!

Opps, Sorry, I suffer from "Tea Bagger Tourette Syndrome"

[dragon8me]

There are always far more people unemployed than are on unemployment and go unreported. States like Texas show less unemployment than others because for one they refused to use stimulis money to extend unemployment for people out of work here, so it looks better on paper than it really is. The right way to get these statistics would be to subtract the number of people working from the total of Americans, less children and the disabled and retired. Otherwise the numbers don't mean anything except the amount on unemployment not the amount of unemployed.

[pubsrtoast]

The bureau of labor compiles the unemployment statistics through a couple of different household surveys sent out each month. If you report that you worked even one hour over the last week (such as babysitting) you are counted as being employed. IOWs they are a crock.

[mary-miami]

Thank goodness we have a Democratic government that understands the plight of the people at this moment in history. Yes, by all means, extend unemployment benefits...It is the only way many families are keeping their heads above the water...The benefits are not as much money as the people originally earned anyway, they are only a percent of the salary that was lost; however, it can mean the difference between eating or not...

[pubsrtoast]

I still remember when this country was coming out of the first Bush recession and Tom Delay and his merry band of dimwits let hundreds of thousands exhaust their benefits a few days before Christmas. Every time I think the compassionate conservatives have hit a new low, the prove me wrong again.

[johnpatrick1]

To all of the Yahoos who voted for BUSH once or twice and are now out of work...the chickens have come home to roost. NEVER VOTE REPUBLICAN FOR YOU ARE VOTING AGAINST YOURSELF. You are the Workers! You are not part of the Oligarchy which waves the Flag in your face and sends your sons and now your daughters to fight to make profit for the Defense Industry. READ YOUR AMERICAN HISTORY----the Republican Party serves the Rich and the Connected...it does not serve you, but it will use your fears and prejudices to make a fool out of you as it did once again under the Disgraced Bush Regime.

[retiredgustav]

Those yahoos had to vote republican because their preacher told them to or else they would spend eternity in some place warmer than Texas in July.

[chonder2]

Harold Heckquba-You forgot to mention the welfare Cadillac!

[mark90000]

mark9000 ; will there be another emergency unemployment , there are no jobs here in orangeburg south carolina if there are any there using the money to keep the business a float , and hiring college students or one's who are graduating which mean if you don't have a job you'll have to find an odd jobs and that's it . no matter how many application i put online nobody hiring right now ,

[johnpatrick1]

One more time: "Thanks to the Brilliant Leadership of George-the-Worthless-Bush and his 8 years of Republican Misrule our Glorious Nations now has a large pool of desperate so-called Citizens who can be exploited into overwork and any-work and under any conditions in order to survive....a Republican Dream come true! Thanks George....well done!"

[wasrinrime]

chonder2: You working for Wallstreet and having all you ill-gotten salaries and bonuses - go ahead move to that island. As for the rest of us said (losers)- #@*! you.

[Marc_1986]

Why are we spending $70 billion MORE dollars on this program? Why don't we just take money that hasn't been earmarked yet from TARP and ARRA? Anyone?

[pubsrtoast]

LOL! I wonder how many unemployed tea-baggers that have been out whining about government spending will be standing in line with their hands out?

[jtdev1]

Everytime I read the word "teabagger" I have to laugh...

If they only knew what it meant

They should look it up on "urban dictionary" and get the meaning of the word...


I bet they'd change it immediately (unless they like it)

[80evo]

Nice name calling. I will not take anything serious from children that have to demean and insult with nasty name calling to prove their point. Enjoy your missery loser. pubic toast lol

[ianlou]

Opps, Looks like a Teabagger visited the Urban Dictionary.

[quapawsix]

Enjoy your salary and perks now it won't be long and the rest of the world will see how Wall Street and the Bankers have been ripping the world off and you and the rest of the thieves will answer for your crimes.