Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on Unemployment Benefits Extension Passing in the House of Representatives

June 12, 2008 -- Today’s vote in the House of Representatives to pass a vital extension of unemployment benefits marks an important step forward in getting desperately needed help to some of the most vulnerable in the rapidly failing economy – and giving the economy a needed boost. We commend Democratic leadership and all members who voted for this important legislation.

With gas prices topping $4 a gallon, monthly bills piling up and the price of everyday necessities like food going through the roof, working families are depending on Congress to help them stay afloat. While the majority of members in the House did the right thing today, it’s unconscionable that President Bush has threatened to veto this vital legislation, and with it the hopes of millions of suffering jobless workers. The president’s threat shows no regard for the victims of the current economic crisis.

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Now the Senate must finish the job by passing this legislation and moving it to the President’s desk. It’s time for Bush and Republican leaders to shelve the petty excuses and do right by the millions of unemployed workers who are counting on their government to help them weather the recession.

Jobless workers need immediate relief for starters, and then we must turn the focus to curing our ailing economy by fixing the structural flaws that led us into this mess in the first place.

Source: AFL-CIO