OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Ayotte Helps Introduce Bill to Pay for Temporary Extension of Jobless Benefits, Repeal Military Retiree Cuts

Press Release

Date: Jan. 16, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Unemployed and Low-Income Military Personnel Entitlements and the Safety Net

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte helped introduce legislation today that would fully pay for a 3-month extension of long-term unemployment benefits and fully repeal unfair military retiree benefit cuts that were included in last month's budget deal - which she opposed.

The Responsible Unemployment Compensation Extension Act (S. 1931) is based on a proposal that Ayotte announced earlier this week with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Rob Portman (R-OH), Dean Heller (R-NV), Dan Coats (R-IN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and John Hoeven (R-ND).

"I'm continuing to work with my colleagues to solve this problem by advancing a solution that both parties can support. This is a good faith proposal to pay for a temporary extension of long-term unemployment insurance and reverse unfair military retiree cuts, and there's no reason it shouldn't get a vote on the Senate floor," said Senator Ayotte.

The bill is based on a package that Ayotte and these seven Republicans filed earlier this week as a way to pay for extending unemployment benefits during consideration of S. 1845. Following the Senate Majority's rejection of that alternative, the Senators introduced the legislation as a stand-alone bill.

Additional details of the Responsible Unemployment Compensation Act of 2014:

* Repeals military retirement cost-of-living reduction included in December's budget agreement.

* Fully offsets the three-month extension by spreading savings proposed by the Majority across the current 10-year budget window. This legislation exempts Medicare providers from further cuts and includes specific language to ensure that sequestration of defense resources is not increased.

* Reduces weeks of eligibility for emergency unemployment tiers 1 and 2, which reduces total state and federal unemployment from 73 weeks to 57 weeks.

* Eliminates overlapping payments for unemployment insurance benefits and Social Security disability benefits.


Source
arrow_upward