Contact:Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami, 202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement this evening upon the Senate’s passage today of legislation extending unemployment insurance benefits for seven weeks and for 13 additional weeks in states with unemployment rates above 6 percent. The bill now goes to President Bush, who is expected to sign into law this week:
"With more Americans filing jobless claims than at any time since the 1992, the Senate’s passage of the House’s unemployment insurance extension legislation will help speed relief to more than 2 million workers who continue to search for new jobs in these difficult economic times. No American who is ready, willing and able to work and provide for their family should find themselves cut off from this critical assistance. I look forward to the President signing this legislation into law this week.
"While extending unemployment benefits is essential, Congress and the President must continue to work together to help Americans weather this economic storm and strengthen our economy for the long term. We stand ready to work with President Bush and Senate Republicans to enact House-passed legislation that will create new jobs by investing in infrastructure, help states avoid deep cuts to critical services, and provide nutrition assistance to families in need."