Carl Levin Statement on Senate Passage of Legislation to Extend Unemployment Insurance Benefits

May 22, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., today praised Senate passage of legislation to extend unemployment insurance benefits. The provision would extend benefits for 13 weeks, with an additional 13 weeks for states like Michigan with high unemployment rates.

Homeless man: Photo by EyeTunes (CC)

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In the past year, 156,083 Michigan residents exhausted their unemployment benefits and could not find jobs. The legislation will next be taken up by the House of Representatives.

Levin’s statement follows:

“As Michigan continues to suffer with the nation’s highest unemployment rate, it is a great relief to our state that the Senate today overwhelmingly approved an extension of unemployment insurance.

This is a long overdue measure, which will finally provide some relief for thousands of Michigan families that have exhausted their unemployment insurance and cannot find jobs in these tough economic times, just as we have provided extended benefits in previous downturns of this magnitude.

Many families are feeling the additional squeeze of the rising costs of energy, health care and food; extending unemployment insurance can boost the economy and help some families cope with exceedingly difficult circumstances.

I hope that President Bush reconsiders his veto threat on this critical legislation and decides to act in the best interest of American families and workers by signing this extension of unemployment insurance benefits into law.”

Source: Senator Carl Levin