Rep. Doris Matsui Votes To Extend Unemployment Insurance

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) voted for passage of H.R. 3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009, a supplemental appropriations measure to extend unemployment compensation to those hurt by the recent economic downturn. The bill will provide emergency relief to those already receiving benefits by allowing their eligibility to be extended up to 13 additional weeks, bringing the total eligible weeks to 46 for Californians.

"While we continue working to turn the economy around, this Congress is committed to providing much-needed relief to millions of unemployed Americans as they struggle to find work," said Congresswoman Matsui. "Unemployment benefits are just a thin safety net keeping many of our friends, neighbors, and families barely above the threshold of home foreclosure and bankruptcy. These benefits allow men and women to continue to provide for their families during what can be a stressful and emotional time -- searching for a job."

In California, it is projected that 68,000 would have exhausted their benefits at the end of September and a total of 154,000 by the end of this year. In Sacramento specifically, this extension will help 85,000 local residents. It helps to stabilize out-of-work men and women hoping to keep their families above water while they seek new positions. For each open position in America today, there are six unemployed men and woman vying for the opportunity.

While the pace of job loss has declined dramatically in recent months, the U.S. has shed over 6.9 million jobs since the beginning of the recession in 2007. These benefits, as all unemployment insurance has in past, will support Americans who lost their jobs due to no fault of their own.

"This extension will ensure that those workers will be able to continue providing for their families -- helping to pay for groceries, filling their cars with gas, and making their mortgage payments on time," added Rep. Matsui.

Extending these benefits is also one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting ways to stimulate the economy because the money is spent quickly. Every $1 spent on unemployment benefits generates $1.63 in new economic demand, which will specifically help hard-hit areas like Sacramento who are suffering both from overall job losses and the effects of state furloughs.

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