Following the failure of the House and Senate to reconcile a bill to extend Cobra and unemployment benefits through the end of the year, jobless benefits are expiring for tens of thousands of job seekers this week.
The issue has become political as the Democrats are encouraging extensions of benefits while the Republicans are more concerned with getting the deficit reduced.
On March 10th, the Senate approved the extension of Cobra and unemployment benefits through the end of the year. However, responding to criticism that the bill will adds billions to the deficit, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., pared that portion of the bill back and instead added a tax credit for employers who hire the jobless who stay employed for 1 year, among other changes to the jobs bill. That bill was signed by President Obama.
The jobless benefits extension was left out of that bill and members of Congress from both parties vowed to provide relief. However, the Senate left for their two week spring recess without passing a proposed one month extension. Unemployment insurance benefits will run out this week for thousands.
According to the of Labor Department, the number of jobless needing extended benefits will climb to 1.2 million by the middle of May if there is no congressional action before then.
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Comments
To the Editor:
Why is it that no one is addressing the plight of the long term unemployed... those who have already exhausted their jobless benefits? That number is staggering and doesn't seem to attract any media attention. All the hype seems to be around those who will lose their assistance. Are the long term unemployed somehow less relevant? After all... they're the ones who have lost the most. I'm having a difficult time wrapping my head around this gross oversight. In these difficult times, it is not only relevant but necessary to tell the whole story. Just once I'd like to see someone dig in and do what's necessary to give an accurate and comprehensive accounting of this economic disaster. It's as if people look the other way, then it's not really happening! Trust me... it's happening! And eventually, not to far down the road, the masses will unite and let out a cry heard across the land so loud, it will be impossible to ignore!
Hi Jeff,
Want to be interviewed for a story on the Examiner? Email me @ tracy.sestili@gmail.com Would love to do a story on the affect that the economy has had on long term unemployed and include your story.
Cheers,
Tracy
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