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Staggering Job Losses Should be a Clarion Call to Action
Chairman Rangel, Subcommittee Chairman McDermott will seek additional extension of unemployment benefits
September 5, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) said today that they will introduce legislation to extend unemployment benefits to help more Americans when Congress resumes work next week.  McDermott’s subcommittee has jurisdiction over the nation’s unemployment insurance system.

“Today’s jobs report brings the economic insecurity facing millions of American families into focus and Congress must act accordingly to provide additional relief to those in need,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel.  “We will be introducing legislation to extend unemployment benefits to help give some peace of mind to the millions who have lost their job through no fault of their own and are struggling to regain their footing in this weak economy.”

“The unemployment data released today – the 8th straight month of significant job loss and an unemployment spike to 6.1% nationally- shows a staggering economic crisis befalling the American people and an urgent need to act now,” said Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Jim McDermott.

The President has opposed legislation to extend unemployment benefits in the past.  In June, Chairman McDermott’s original legislation (HR 5749) to extend unemployment benefits passed the House with the strong support of Chairman Rangel, and the bill was eventually signed into law by the President, but only after provisions that would have helped more Americans were removed to gain Republican support. The job market has further deteriorated since that law was enacted, resulting in nearly a million more Americans joining the ranks of the unemployed since June.

“The President cannot continue to pretend that the economy is getting better when the economic reality, in fact, is alarming,” McDermott said. 

The new legislation would provide another 7 weeks of extended unemployment benefits for all workers (in addition to the 13 weeks provided in the extended benefits program enacted in June).  In addition, in high unemployment States, workers would be entitled to up to another 13 weeks of extended benefits.  This provision allowing additional benefits in high unemployment States (those with unemployment reaching 6%) was dropped from the legislation enacted in June.  Nearly 800,000 workers are expected to exhaust their extended benefits in October unless Congress and the President act on this legislation.

“I urge the President to respond to this national economic crisis the way we would respond to any national emergency, by bridging the political divide to provide urgent relief to the American people,” McDermott said.  “Rising unemployment is every bit as damaging and dangerous as rising flood waters from a hurricane, and extended unemployment benefit legislation is no different than a levee built to protect people and help them survive a storm.”

“It is time that we come together as a nation, Democrats and Republicans, to stand behind those who are struggling,” concluded Rangel.  “We took a first step in June, but more is needed.   We cannot ignore the difficulties these families are enduring because the sooner we band together to provide relief, the faster our economy will begin its recovery.”