Please Help Extend Unemployment Benefits for ALL Americans!

Fellow Americans,

Early next month congress will reconvene and consider 2 bills on extending unemployment benefits for those who are still unemployed:

1. Representative Jim McDermott has introduced the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2009, H.R. 3404. The bill would continue important ARRA benefits including the $25 per week federal additional compensation, full federal sharing for EB benefits, and the existing 33 weeks of EUC, through December 31, 2010 and phasing out by June 2011. In addition, the bill would provide 13 weeks of "further additional emergency unemployment compensation" to those states with an unemployment rate above 9.5%.

2. Senator Jack Reed introduced a similar package in the Senate (S. 1647) would provide such benefits to states with a three months average unemployment rate of 8.5%.

Hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans will be left out because their state doesnt have a current unemployment rate of 9.5% or their states 3 month average is less than 8.5%. Does that mean that they need relief less than other unemployed individuals in other states with higher unemployment? No. Unemployed is unemployed no matter how many of your neighbors have jobs.

I am urging everyone to get off your duffs and do something to ensure that nobody is left out when congress extends unemployment benefits next month.

Q: What can you do?
A: Contact your elected officials and let them know that all unemployed Americans need relief no matter what the state unemployment rate is.

Q: How do I contact my elected officials?
A: Unemployedworkers.org and The National Employment Law Project (NELP) has a tool that will provide you the names and contact information of elected officials in your area. You can find it here: http://www.unemployedworkers.org/page/speakout/FederalExtension
Entering your zip code will display all of the elected officials in your state/city/district and their contact information.

The one major flaw that both of these pieces of legislation have is that not all unemployed Americans will benefit from the proposed extension of unemployment benefits. Let your legislators know that you think it is unfair to exclude anyone who is currently unemployed through no fault of their own!

Thank you.

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[rationhawkeye]

Once the Senate passes a jobless benefits measure, senators would have to iron out differences with the House-passed bill in a conference committee. The version hammered out by the conference committee would then have to be passed by the House and Senate before President Barack Obama could sign it into law.

[rationhawkeye]

There's still talk about voting on an extension in the Senate this week. There is currently a bill that will extend benefits for all states by 4 weeks with an additional 13 weeks to states with an 8.5% or higher rate. There is also some support from Senators in lower unemployment states that benefits be extended for all states by up to 17 weeks.

[rationhawkeye]

October 1, 2009

Today, Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Finance Committee, introduced legislation (Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2009) that provides additional weeks of federal jobless benefits to workers in all states.

[rationhawkeye]

The good news is that the legislation has been passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 331-83 and has been forwarded to the Senate. In the Senate, lawmakers are working on legislation that would extend benefits for workers in all states, not just those targeted in McDermott's bill, said an aide to Montana Democratic Senator Max Baucus.

[rationhawkeye]

Way to go above and beyond! I fear that's the only way to get our voices heard. I would love to hear from more people who are struggling with job losses and are having difficulty finding work. If anyone needs help contacting their elected officials or doesn't know what to write, let me know and I will help you draft a letter/email to send.

[lovesmerlot]

I have a better Idea, why not just bring back the jobs that have been out sourced to other countries, From what I heard on the radio the next jobs to go are IT jobs to countries that get a better education that the US and their pay will be a lot less that what would be paid to an American. It is already happening with customer service for one. I have called to find out information regarding where to drop off my Comcast box or information about my phone and have learned it is another country.

[lovesmerlot]

@2dielivnsin The uneployment money is our tax dollars that were collected from our earnings to protect us in case of such a situation that we are in now due to Corporate greed and Wall street. What about the billions of dollars being spent in Afganistan to help a civilization that does not know how to drive or read so our soldiers have to stay there and deal with a civilazation and culture that is older than the USA.

[ToxicOdiousOne]

Never! I am not a socialist.

[2dielivnsin]

@pharoprnce Get your ass a job and quit depending on tax dollars to feed you. There is work out there. Might not be the kind you want or pay what you think your worth but it beats me taking care of your sorry ass. The gov't is broke and deeply in debt. Who do you think will have to pay that. Your kids and grandkids will because you laid on your ass crying about money for nothing. It ain't suppose to work that way. If you are hungry you can come shovel shit for me and I'll feed you.

[WorkFromHome001]

I never got unemployment in the first place

[sungmee45]

And some says, unemployment is going down, they are joke. Government has no desire to continue paying out these check for average american who are need. They want them to be poor. This is sad!

[dbaum23]

@56Edify How is it a welfare check? I've paid into it just like everyone else who collects and doesn't collect. That's why its called insurance. I wasn't asked to be laid off from my job. I'd rather be making the money at my job then what i am on unemployment. The dems might have the power but they don't have the full voting power needed to push things thru, which is 60 votes, not 50. Its funny the republicans want everything paid for when they got us into 2 unpaid for wars and tax cuts.

[56Edify]

@pharoprnce

Uh, because the country is already deeply in debt. Simple solution, find a way to fund it without just adding it to the debt. And the last time i checked Obama was president, and the dems hold power in both houses. Oh, and please provide evidence of people actually "starving". By the way, you may want to check your keyboard........ your caps lock key seems to be sticking in the on position a lot.

[56Edify]

@dbaum23

Just out of curiosity........ when someone has used up all the unemployment benefits the current system entitles them to, how many "extensions" are necessary before people start calling it what it is....... a welfare check? Not trying to be a smart-ass, but this does seem to be just a case of semantics.

[HelpHaitiVictims]

End unemployment now!!

Extramoneyproject . com