Senate Ignores Bush Veto Threat, Approves Extended Jobless Aid

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/05/22/senate-ignores-bush-veto-threat-approves-extended-jobless-aid/

by Mike Hall, May 22, 2008

The more than 200,000 workers a month who run out of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits before finding new jobs may get a helping hand. Today, the U.S. Senate, by a surprising 75-22 veto-proof vote, approved a measure to extend UI benefits for the long-term jobless.

The vote was on an amendment to a supplemental spending bill to fund the war in Iraq. President Bush has repeatedly said he would veto the bill if it includes a UI extension.



Said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney before the vote:

Extending unemployment benefits is the right thing and the responsible thing to do, and now is the time. Working families are footing the bill for the war. The least Congress can do is give them the help they need in these tough times.

Some 3.5 million unemployed workers will lose jobless benefits this year. The legislation would have provided an additional 13 weeks of UI benefits for jobless workers in every state and an additional 13 weeks to those in states with high unemployment rates (more than 6 percent).

A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report said the added benefits would provide a quick stimulus to the flagging economy:

Extending unemployment benefits is one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting forms of economic stimulus because workers who have lost their paychecks have little choice but to spend these benefits quickly.

FULL story at link.

[bdamomma]

1. are they finally growing the balls to do something,

too little too late.