Unemployment Extension Crisis -- It's November

[Joanne98]

Many do not know that if an emergency unemployment benefits extension isn't passed within the week, by the end of this very week, the week ending November 20, 2010, the benefits of two million people will be

impacted by year's end. Those that are on unemployment extension benefits at present and who have been unable to find jobs know it, because the deadline to apply for the next extension ends this week, according to OpenConress.org. By the end of November, people receiving unemployment benefits via the Tier extensions will start to lose those benefits as they become exhausted and fall off the unemployment rolls. For many, those benefits are the difference between paying the bills and becoming homeless.

Back at the beginning of June, Congress faced a similar situation. Republicans suddenly became fiscal conservatives again (after ignoring the concept for six years under the Bush administration) and demanded that any extensions be paid for while Democrats insisted that Republicans were simply mean-spirited and unwilling to compromise as they appended unnecessary addenda to legislation that included the emergency unemployment extensions. Democrats refused to pay for the extensions and/or trim the offending earmarks. Republicans refused to budge whatsoever and filibustered.

The stalemate would continue until the end of July, when a standalone measure finally passed through both chambers of Congress. Of course, for many already dangling by a thread economically when the extensions expired at the beginning of June, the eight weeks wherein no extension benefits were sent out meant the loss of their homes or cars or other services. Still, the passage of the emergency extension (which were made retroactive to June 2) helped millions continue to pay their necessary bills.

Next Page

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6023748/unemployment_extension_crisis_its_november.html

[Love Bug]

1. Here we go again

This is what, the third time this has happened this year? The thing is, unemployment is still too high and once the new Congress starts in January, we can kiss 'goodbye' any more funding or extensions. If it don't happen now, this is it for a lot of people.