Carte Goodwin, appointed to succeed West Virginia’s Sen. Robert Byrd, was sworn in on Tuesday. The Senate almost immediately voted 60-40 to extend unemployment benefits.
President Obama had vigorously urged extension of federal unemployment insurance provisions to provide benefits to 2.5 million unemployed Americans, after the program expired on June 4.
Americans stuck in the jobless queue will receive benefits of $309 per week on average to assist them while seeking new employment. Payments for the long-term unemployed were halted while the Senate balked at extending them. Those affected by the halt will get retroactive benefits.
According to the United States Department of Labor, the State Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program provides workers who lost employment unexpectedly with financial help for a maximum of 26 weeks, depending on the policies of each state.
A statement released from the White House on July 1 said that the president urged the Republican leadership in the Senate to “end their obstruction of this critical aid.” According to the Democrats, the bill will assist the unemployed with paying for everyday bills and groceries, and at the same time help the economic recession by stimulating the market. The statement said each dollar from the aid can transform to $1.60 in the country’s economic output.
The president said that the Republican senators are misled by the notion that temporary relief somehow discourages job seekers from looking for work. “It’s time to stop blocking emergency relief for Americans who are out of work and extend unemployment insurance. And that’s what I hope members of Congress on both sides of the aisle do,” said President Obama in a July 19 speech.
The Republicans said the party never rejected offering assistance to Americans who are out of work. The concern is however that a bill of $34 billion leads to another tremendous increase of the national debt, that eventually will be another financial burden to the people.
“They just don’t seem to appreciate the fact that by adding to the national debt, they’re increasing the long-time burden on everyone—the unemployed, the employed, and our children and grandchildren who will have to pay for it,” said senator and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in a debate in the Senate floor this morning.
Furthermore, the senator cited a lack of results from a similar bill to extend unemployment benefits signed in November last year, as the average unemployment rate did not experience a significant drop since.
President Obama had vigorously urged extension of federal unemployment insurance provisions to provide benefits to 2.5 million unemployed Americans, after the program expired on June 4.
Americans stuck in the jobless queue will receive benefits of $309 per week on average to assist them while seeking new employment. Payments for the long-term unemployed were halted while the Senate balked at extending them. Those affected by the halt will get retroactive benefits.
According to the United States Department of Labor, the State Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program provides workers who lost employment unexpectedly with financial help for a maximum of 26 weeks, depending on the policies of each state.
A statement released from the White House on July 1 said that the president urged the Republican leadership in the Senate to “end their obstruction of this critical aid.” According to the Democrats, the bill will assist the unemployed with paying for everyday bills and groceries, and at the same time help the economic recession by stimulating the market. The statement said each dollar from the aid can transform to $1.60 in the country’s economic output.
The president said that the Republican senators are misled by the notion that temporary relief somehow discourages job seekers from looking for work. “It’s time to stop blocking emergency relief for Americans who are out of work and extend unemployment insurance. And that’s what I hope members of Congress on both sides of the aisle do,” said President Obama in a July 19 speech.
The Republicans said the party never rejected offering assistance to Americans who are out of work. The concern is however that a bill of $34 billion leads to another tremendous increase of the national debt, that eventually will be another financial burden to the people.
“They just don’t seem to appreciate the fact that by adding to the national debt, they’re increasing the long-time burden on everyone—the unemployed, the employed, and our children and grandchildren who will have to pay for it,” said senator and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in a debate in the Senate floor this morning.
Furthermore, the senator cited a lack of results from a similar bill to extend unemployment benefits signed in November last year, as the average unemployment rate did not experience a significant drop since.
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