Unemployment Benefits Extension May be Considered in Senate
(Washington, D.C.) – This week the U.S. Senate is expected to continue consideration of a three-month extension of emergency unemployment benefits. Last week the body failed to achieve the necessary votes to proceed with the proposal – which would add $6 billion to the national debt – by a slim margin. Several Senators opposed the bill because Senate leadership refused to permit the body to discuss spending reductions that would offset the extension and prevent an overall increase in the debt. Approximately 1.7 million people would receive extended benefits from what would be the 11th extension of standard unemployment benefits time since 2008.
Many in Washington continue to call for additional taxpayer-funded benefits for workers who are left behind in the current "recovery," but offer no new ideas to spur real job creation. After another weak jobs report for the month of January, the United States has more than 4 million fewer full-time jobs than it did at its 2007 peak. Hispanic unemployment and youth unemployment are again on the rise.
Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative released the following statement:
“Polls show that the top priority for the American people today is the economy, and that they are concerned about the lack of real job growth. But instead of new ideas to promote real job creation, Washington is focused on half measures that do little to solve the underlying problem, and that add to our deficit and debt. While well-intentioned, this will ultimately hurt our economy, and hurt working families. It is possible to grow the economy and provide needed assistance to those seeking economic opportunity – without increasing the debt we are passing along to our children and grandchildren. The current politicized debate is not the right way to do it."