Engel Blasts GOP for Ignoring the Unemployed
Press Release
Washington, D.C. -- Congressman Eliot Engel took to the House floor today to urge House GOP to extend unemployment insurance for the 1.3 million Americans who lost it when the extension expired on December 28, 2013. He said it was a failure of government to ignore those who are still recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression. House Republicans, in mid-December, blocked an effort by Democrats to extend the program before the cut-off, when 137,315 New Yorkers lost their unemployment insurance.
Rep. Engel said, "This bipartisan Omnibus spending bill reflects a good-faith effort to return to sensible governing at a time of divided government. However, the GOP's refusal to extend unemployment insurance is a blemish on the deal, and a failure to continue rebuilding our economy. Americans deserve better. House Speaker John Boehner should allow the House to vote, so we can extend this vital relief to those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own."
The federal unemployment insurance program -- formally called Emergency Unemployment Compensation -- has been reauthorized several times as the economy incrementally recovered. Despite the progress the economy has made since its near collapse in 2008, there are still 1.3 million fewer jobs than there were before the recession. The long-term unemployment as a percentage of the unemployed is 37 percent, far higher than during previous recessions. On average, nationwide, the program provides about $300 a week to recipients.
Rep. Engel said, "Now is not the time to abandon our workers and their families. Congress should extend this program until the economy has fully recovered." He said the failure to extend federal unemployment insurance would also hurt job growth, costing the economy 240,000 jobs nationwide, including almost 20,000 in New York, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers. "Losing even more jobs is not the answer for a recovering economy. Helping families through extended unemployment benefits is the proper course to follow."
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