Press Release

English Hails House Action to Extend Unemployment Benefits for Jobless Workers

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.) hailed House passage of H.R. 6867, the Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008, bipartisan legislation to provide additional assistance to jobless workers who continue to suffer from the lagging economy and unemployment.

“With unemployment on the rise, this is just the right tonic needed to strengthen the safety net for working families that are being forced to bear the brunt of the current economic downturn,” said English, a cosponsor of the bill.

Earlier this year, English, along with Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), introduced the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act. The bipartisan measure, which enjoyed the support of key labor groups such as AFL-CIO and UAW, quickly gained traction in Congress and was signed into law in July.  While the McDermott-English bill helped to ease the burden of unemployment on American families and workers, English continued to work with his colleagues in Washington to advance additional legislation.

“Clearly, the American economy is in a very fragile stage and if we do not now, we run the risk of facing tougher economic times and more layoffs,” English continued.  “By guaranteeing more pay days for workers, this legislation will ensure middle-class families will not slip through the cracks because of unforeseen layoffs.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates jumped to 6.1 percent in September, and nearly 800,000 workers are projected to exhaust their Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) extended benefits in October unless Congress acts.

H.R. 6867, the Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 is a continuation of the McDermott-English law.  Specifically, the measure would amend the current Emergency Unemployment (EUC) program to provide an additional seven weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every state, bringing the total amount of potential extended benefits to 20 weeks.  In addition, jobless workers that have exhausted state and federal benefits in states with high employment rates, at or above six percent, would receive another 13 weeks of unemployment benefits.

“With the economy continuing to slide, it is clear that we have to act now to put the country on a growth path and create jobs for American workers,” English said.  “In the meantime, it will be my priority to continue to help displaced workers while they search for employment.”

H.R. 6867 passed the House floor by a vote of 368 to 28 and has been sent to the Senate for further review.

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