Unemployment benefits expire for almost 44,000 in Michigan.
Washington — Emergency unemployment benefits expired on Saturday for 1.3 million people — including almost 44,000 people in Michigan — as President Barack Obama vowed to win an extension next month when Congress returns from the holiday recess.
The move means unemployed people in Michigan are now only eligible for 20 weeks of unemployment, down from the 57 weeks of total unemployment — including 37 weeks under the federal program — that were most recently available.
Gene Sperling, head of the National Economic Council said in a statement that “it defies economic sense, precedent and our values to allow 1.3 million Americans fighting to find jobs to see their unemployment insurance abruptly cut off —especially in the middle of the holiday season. These are our neighbors, our community members and often fellow parents who depend on this as a temporary lifeline while they are actively looking for new jobs to support their families and make ends meet. Never before have we abruptly cut off emergency unemployment insurance when we faced this level of long-term unemployment and it would be a blow to these families and our economy.”
Obama called on the cosponsors of legislation to extend benefits, Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Dean Heller, R-Nev., on Friday, that would extend emergency unemployment insurance for three months "while giving more time for consideration of further extension through 2014, and (Senate Majority) Leader (Harry) Reid will bring it to a vote as soon as they return. The President strongly encourages both the Democratic and Republican Congressional leadership and their members to support this bipartisan solution and to pass the Reed-Heller bill.
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131228/POLITICS03/312280038#ixzz2ooX6lthv
= new reply since forum marked as read
then punish them for being out of work. 
