Sadly, the glow from Friday's good news that the U.S. gained 162,000 jobs in March--the largest job gain in a single month in the past three years--dimmed greatly today with the expiration of unemployment benefits due to Congressional inaction and irresponsibility.
Taking a page right out of KY Sen. Bunning's playbook, Senate Republicans led by Oklahoma's Tom Coburn blocked a $9 billion measure containing one-month extensions of unemployment insurance and COBRA health coverage on March 25. The result? Unemployed Americans will now have to wait for relief until Congress returns from recess on April 12.
For the 212,000 Americans who rely on unemployment benefits as a lifeline, today may be the worst 'case of the Mondays' they've ever known. "What's worse than losing your job and having to go on unemployment insurance? The answer: Not being able to go on unemployment insurance," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger.
Although the Senate will likely make unemployment benefits retroactive from when they finally act, it's probably safe to note that this likelihood is cold comfort to out-of-work Americans who need to put food on the table and see their doctors now--not 'retroactively.'
Moving forward, it's clear Congress needs to embrace bolder solutions if they're going to lessen the number of long-term unemployed people who've have been out of work and pounding the pavement in search of a new job for at least six months. This number is now at 44.1 percent--or a record-breaking 6.5 million workers.
To help create jobs for those who are struggling to support their families, Rep. George Miller recently introduced the Local Jobs for America Act. The legislation aims to put people to work rebuilding communities and save existing local jobs, a bill which represents the sort of bold solution that Congress should embrace. Learn more about Miller's legislation here.
