When Will Speaker Boehner & House Republicans Act for Unemployed Americans?

July 7, 2014
Blog Post

Speaker Boehner and House Republicans are planning a vote this week on another deficit-busting tax giveaway for special interests and corporations without paying for it – costing $287 billion over ten years and bringing their total amount of unpaid-for tax giveaways to special interests to more than $500 billion… yes, that's right… a half a trillion dollars; a move the Congressional Research Service described has described as "inconsistent with…Chairman Camp's [tax] proposal."

Yet, they deliberately refuse to restore emergency unemployment insurance, ignoring:

  • Almost 3.3 million Americans who are experiencing the difficulties of making ends meet;

  • Nearly 300,000 veterans who continue to suffer at the hands of the GOP;

  • 2.3 million children live with a parent who was cut off from UI benefits;

  • The editorials across the country that have called on Congress to extend emergency unemployment insurance.

According to data from the Census Bureau, unemployment benefits have kept 11 million Americans out of poverty since 2008.  And, Republicans' failure to renew UI has cost nearly $10 billion in economic activity.  The Senate and Househave already introduced bipartisan legislation to extend this vital lifeline.  Speaker Boehner, stop neglecting these Americans.  When will you act to restore their economic security while they continue looking for employment?