News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

January 8, 2003

                                       Contact: Sara Lang
                                       Phone: (202) 225-4531

Congress Still Has Much Work to Do, Lawmaker Says

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) today applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits and urged the President to sign the legislation immediately to avoid further disruption of workers' checks. The bill, which passed the House by a vote of 416-4, would retroactively reinstate benefits for over 50,000 workers statewide and nearly 10,000 in the Second Congressional District whose benefits were cut off December 28th. Although the bill is not as comprehensive as legislation co-sponsored by Etheridge that would have provided at least 26 weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits, the lawmaker called today's vote an important step.

"Today the House of Representatives finally threw a lifeline to workers who are struggling to make ends meet," Etheridge said. "These extended benefits will be a bridge for those who are out of work and looking for a job. But, Congress must also do the work to get our economy back up and running so that these folks can find jobs. We need immediate stimulus targeted at putting money back in the pockets of working families, creating jobs and jump-starting our economy."

In March 2002, Congress passed legislation providing workers with an additional 13 weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits. These benefits expired on December 28th, leaving nearly a million American workers cut off. In November, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation extending unemployment benefits for an additional three months. Despite calls from Etheridge and other legislators, the Republican leadership in the House refused to take up this legislation before the end of the session. The President called for an extension of these benefits on December 15th, well after Congress adjourned.

The Rangel-Cardin legislation, which Etheridge co-sponsored, would provide 26 weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits for workers in every state. Any worker who exhausted the initial 13 weeks of benefits in 2002 would receive an additional 13 weeks, and any worker whose benefits were cut off December 28th would receive the remainder of their original 13 weeks on a retroactive basis, plus the additional 13 weeks. In addition, workers in any state designated as having high unemployment would be eligible for another 7 weeks of benefits for a total of 33 weeks.

Attached is a data prepared by the Employment Security Commission outlining the effects of the December 28th cutoff on workers in North Carolina and the Second Congressional District.

WORKERS AFFECTED BY DEC. 28TH CUTOFF OF BENEFITS

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