The Long Term Unemployed Have Little to Celebrate This Fourth of July
"Independence? Ha! This is not the country I once was proud of. There is nothing to celebrate. I have been ignored by Congress. I have no money and sold all I could in the last 3 months."
That's a quote from Rhonda Taylor, a member of the Facebook page Tier V To Survive. She is just one of the many long term unemployed Americans who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. On June 24th, the Senate voted down the unemployment extensions bill (HR 4213) after 2 previous votes and several revisions of the bill. The bill would have extended the deadline for Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits. Unfortunately, those benefits expired on June 2nd.
But the bill only helped the more recently unemployed. It never addressed the long term unemployed, nicknamed 99er's for the amount of weeks they have collected unemployment benefits. So even if HR 4213 had passed, it still did nothing for these 99er's.
The latest news for the long term unemployed
It's not good news. Congress is more concerned with helping the more recently unemployed attain their full 99 weeks of benefits than with aiding the long term unemployed:
-Although The Washington Independent reports that Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) has introduced a standalone bill to help the unemployed qualify for extensions, it does not provide any additional funding for those who have already exhausted their 99 weeks of benefits.
-As reported in The Examiner, Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) told the Ed Schultz Radio Show that he intended to fight for unemployment benefits extensions because "there are unemployed who cannot even get beyond the first 26 weeks, these are not people who got 99 weeks." Yet it was McDermott who held a Congressional hearing on the specific topic of the long term unemployed earlier this month.
Some people, including MSNBC's Ed Schultz, have asked that President Obama use his power of Executive Order to help the unemployed. However, according to OpenCongress.org the Constitution does not allow the President to do such a thing.
What can the long term unemployed do?
Members of unemployment based websites like Advocacy For The Long Term Unemployed and Tier V To Survive continue to encourage other 99er's to contact their lawmakers and demand their plight be addressed. It appears in the spirit of our forefathers who fought bravely to secure America's independence from the British, the long term unemployed will spend at least part of this Fourth of July holiday weekend fighting for a chance to survive.
Sources:
Annie Lowrey Reid Introduces New Standalone Unemployment Extension Bill, The Washington Independent, June 30, 2010
Donalee King McDermott turns DUD for 99ers: won't take time to deliver our letter, The Examiner, June 23, 2010
Jennifer Budd Congress To Hold Hearing On Long Term Unemployment, Associated Content June 9, 2010
Donny Shaw Executive Orders and Unemployment Insurance Benefits, OpenCongress.org June 25, 2010
Rhonda Taylor's Post on Tier V To Survive Facebook Page June 29, 2010
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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11 Comments
Post a CommentDonald Raczak
(Guest) 04/27/2011
As a Ninety Niner myself, I must say that "We are not dead, yet"; albeit our Nation and it's leaders are treating us the way Dictators do their citizens before we send our troops over to stop them. We have to support each other in everything we do or write. Thanks to Yahoo, perhaps we can earn a little money by telling our story..hmm..It would make for a great made for tv movie script..if....we live long enough to tell it. I hope we have a happy ending... See my related article "Unemployed Castaways" which is a version of Apollo 13 only we are the astronauts lost in space. Very similar, only losing them was NOT an option..losing the hundreds of thousands of us Ninety Niners, apparently is an option.
When 99 weeks long term could not locate a good job to pay the needs and 26 weeks, 43 weeks could not find work there is a job issue to cover these people. Why vote on a HR 4213 Bill that penalyzes the 99 when the 26, 43 weeks can not find work as well. There needs to be abill for ALL unemployed for at least one year . The politicans know it and known it since the start of 2010. So do it for ALL unemployed.
Sad that we can't afford groceries and house payment or gas in the vehicle yet Congress can go on vacation and go to the MMA fights in Las Vegas (ie Harry Reid) on July 3 2010. We need help with the unemployment package now not July 12 when they come back from a 2 week vacation.
Great info. It's a sad situation. I agree with guest Debbie's assessment.
crime is going to go up because people will resort to anything to feed their families and and place to live. But we already know that Washington doesn't care about anybody who is homeless, keep sending forgein aid and all our jobs overseas since you the goverment is the one who created this mess, I say get rid of everyone at election time and start over, especially Nancy! they all are set for life and not to have to worry and can vote themselves raises while the rest of us cannot afford to eat a $1 cheeseburger, lets all go camp on capital hill and let them feed us/
Since this seems to be a disaster, why don't we ask other countries to help us since our own government won't. We are always there for other countries when they need us so maybe it is our turn.
Obama need do more for us. We not elect him to do nothing. All he done has made it worse - unemployment, debt, stock market, housing market are all worse since he took office. Tell me why? Bush? Me, I make money when Bush there. People come and spend in store, But not Obama. I lose money. i work every day, 15 hours. I lose money because of Obama. His friends get rich, they take my money and spend. USA need to elect new President to lower tax so we make more money and hire more people. But no - Obmama he raise tax. You tell me why?
There should be no bill at all unless it would help ALL unemployed. Why has not the millions who got caught in this and exhausted not stressed this to their representatives. How is new unemployed extending their benfits going to help ? Stop the politics and do what is right in an failed economy!
good article, Jennifer, thanks!
Jennifer, I agree with you. This is not the America I used to know. I think this is only the beginning of a very difficult time in American history. I also an unemployed and my U.I. ends this month. I at least have an option but with no guarantee, millions and millions don't. Where do they go, where will they live, how will they eat, who will care? Too few I'm afraid.