Congress to Hold Hearings on Long Term Unemployment
The Voices of 99'ers Are Finally Being Heard in Washington
The hearing will discuss how long term unemployment affects individuals, their families, and the economy. Even though there have some small gains in the economy regarding growth and job creation, there is still the issue of the long term unemployed. According to the press release, nearly half of all people currently on unemployment have been collecting benefits for more than 6 months.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman McDermott stated,"Our first step to respond to long-term unemployment is obvious -- continue the emergency federal unemployment programs to prevent millions of workers from losing their benefits..... But we also need to think about additional steps to help those trying to return to work."
The long term unemployed respond to the hearing
Although the Senate is currently debating a bill (HR 4213) that would extend the deadline Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits to the end of November 2010, it does not provide any relief for those who have exhausted their benefits. These people have nicknamed themselves 99'ers for the number of weeks they have collected unemployment and still cannot find work. One of those 99'ers is Donna Davies, who runs the Facebook page Tier V To Survive. She ran out of benefits on March 18th and has been forced to sell her house and move her family into an apartment.
"It's better late than never," says Davies regarding the upcoming hearing. "There should be no debate, until jobs are restored for those that have worked their entire lives, benefits must be extended...I just hope that they see how many of us there are, and that we have a voice."
Mike White of California is a soon to be 99'er. He lost his job in 2008 and hasn't even landed an interview in 2 years. He submitted his testimony to Congressman McDermott's office regarding tomorrow's hearing on long term unemployment. "I am heartened to see that Rep. McDermott is holding this hearing and taking the subject of the long term unemployed seriously," says White. "I can only hope that this will lead to a Tier 5 or something like it for those of us who have exhausted all our Unemployment Benefits, because so many people I know either have lost or are about to lose their homes as a result of this economic disaster we are experiencing."
If you are long term unemployed and want your voice heard in Washington, submit your testimony by clicking here and selecting click here to provide a submission for the record. Follow instructions.
Sources:
Chairman McDermott Announces Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment, House Ways and Means Committee press release June 3, 2010
Email correspondence with Donna Davies June 7, 2010
Email correspondence with Mike White June 2 & 8, 2010
Budd, Jennifer Senate Prepares to Debate Bill that Would Extend Unemployment Benefits, Associated Content June 7, 2010 (updated June 8th)
Published by J Budd, RN - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness
I am a registered nurse and former radio broadcast journalist in the NYC/NJ area for over a decade. Some of the stations I have worked with include Bloomberg News Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio, Fox News Rad... View profile
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6 Comments
Post a CommentVery nice job. Hope it works. Sorry, but I'm not real confident in our Government's concern over this for obvious reasons. We are the ones who are paying for this country's deficit right now. Just one more year is all we need of extensions. By then certainly something in the "Jobs Market" will give. If not, then we don't have the right people in the White House right now. We need the "CHANGE" that got Mr. Obama elected. We have not seen it yet. We need More Tiers of Unemployment benefits till the "CHANGE" happens.
Nice job with this.
Thanks TimOregon. Its nice to see someone other then the unemployed voice their positive opinion and can see outside the box. You are exactly right, they need to tax the companies that outsource, and put higher tariffs on imports. Japan does it, other countries do it with our imports, so why don't we-- The U.S. is a very generous Country, coming to the rescue to other country's in need. We are in need, so why doesn't Washington come to their peoples need FIRST? Tier V to survive!!!
The government knows jobs have not returned the economy is still very bad and unstable. Do the right thing immediately and extend the unemployment for one year it will take this longer term recovery if jobs and economy is on rebound these people will return back to work if there are jobs to hire them. The delays and one month, 3 month extensions are not going to solve this long term recovery recession issues and they know it. Stop the meetings and delays these people can not pay their lifeline necassary needs. Get it done now..
I am not one of the unemployed but totally agree with this article. Congress needs to be held accountable for the their failure to create a jobs bill and a jobs market.
extending Unemployment is not the answer however it what is needed. the Answer is to create jobs, which will take Congress to place hire taxes on any company that out sources jobs over seas, higher taxes on any funds leaving the US and higher tariffs on imports.
Until then we have to pay out unemployment for the failure of our leaders.
Support unemployment here, it is one of Change.org highest all time petitions.
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/the_99ers_need_a_tier_v_added_to_unemployment_benefits
well written