“Tens of thousands of West Virginians have lost their jobs since this downturn began more than two years ago,” Mollohan said. “Their jobs are gone, not through any failing on their part, but because of recklessness on Wall Street, currency manipulation in China, or illegal trade practices from a dozen or more of our trading partners. Working families are the backbone of American society, and Washington must stand up for them.”

The measure extends through June 2, 2010, an Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program that provides up to 53 extra weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits to qualified West Virginians who exhaust their regular unemployment benefits. The program also includes an extra $25 per week benefit that was first adopted as part of last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The EUC program had expired April 5th.

Mollohan added that unemployment benefits also provide an important stimulus to the economy. The economist Mark Zandi, for example, estimates that every dollar spent on increased unemployment benefits increases economic activity by $1.63. Zandi was one of Presidential candidate John McCain’s chief economic advisers.

The legislation passed last night also extends through May 31, 2010 the 65% subsidy for health insurance premiums laid-off workers pay under COBRA.

The bill passed 289-113 and was signed into law shortly thereafter.

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