Pelosi, Hoyer, Rangel: House Will Act Swiftly to Extend Unemployment Insurance
By admin - Posted on June 9th, 2008
Tagged: Congress
• Economy
• House of Representatives
• Insurance
• Labor
• Nancy Pelosi
• Steny H. Hoyer
• Unemployment
June 6, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. — Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel announced this afternoon that legislation extending unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term jobless will be acted on swiftly by the House.
The House Ways and Means Committee has already passed the legislation to aid millions of workers who have lost their jobs in the struggling economy.
The leaders’ announcement of imminent House action comes in the wake of today’s report by the Department of Labor showing that the nation’s unemployment rate has risen to 5.5 percent – the biggest monthly increase since 1986. In addition, the report found that 49,000 workers lost their jobs in May, for a total of nearly 325,000 jobs lost since the beginning of the year.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House will vote on the legislation at the earliest opportunity.
“Today’s dismal economic news highlights again the need for an extension of unemployment benefits to those who have been unable to find new jobs,” Pelosi said. “We have argued for this extension since the beginning of the year, as the economy weakened, but we have faced continued resistance from the Bush Administration. In the face of the biggest jump in the unemployment percentage in two decades, and huge job losses in the airline and auto industry among others, America’s workers and families can wait no longer, and neither will the Congress. This bill will come to the floor of the House.”
Majority Leader Hoyer said: “I greatly appreciate Chairman Rangel’s action to extend unemployment insurance benefits. Today’s jobs report is just the latest evidence that we must extend benefits to those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and have been unable to find work during this economic downturn. This legislation is a priority and I look forward to working with the Speaker and Chairman Rangel to bring it to the House floor soon.”
Chairman Rangel said: “Today’s numbers reinforce the urgency for Congress to pass, and President Bush to sign, legislation extending unemployment benefits. Quickly getting these benefits to American workers is both economically wise and morally just.”
Source: Speaker Nancy Pelosi
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