Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) made the following remarks after the House passed the Senate’s amendments to H.R. 4213, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010, 272-152.  Once signed by President Obama, 2.5 million Americans will begin receiving emergency unemployment benefits.  Millions of displaced workers relied on those benefits until May, when Senate Republicans refused to extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) Program.  The legislation would retroactively restore those benefits and continue the EUC program through November.

“Once again the Senate has proven its ineffectiveness, waiting seven long weeks to pass an extension of unemployment benefits through November 30.  While the Senate Republicans debated whether or not unemployment is an ‘emergency,’ displaced workers and their families across America were desperately trying to make ends meet.  I can only imagine how outraged my friends on the Senate side would be if their paychecks were withheld for seven weeks due to partisan bickering.   

“Unfortunately nearly 3 million workers in America cannot collect a paycheck because they cannot find work.  When you have six people applying for every one job opening, the competition is brutal.  Unemployment benefits are not handouts to these workers.  This is needed assistance to keep from being foreclosed on, to continue to purchase groceries and prescriptions, and to make their car payments.  Unemployment Insurance is also a proven economic stimulus, as the money is spent quickly and on consumer goods.

“The House will pass the extension today, less than 24 hours after action by the Senate, and will send this bill immediately to the President, finally giving our families the relief they need.  As we move forward, in addition to ensuring that displaced workers have access to unemployment benefits, we must also focus our efforts on creating new jobs for these workers to compete for.  I am pleased the Democratic Leadership has turned its attention to a manufacturing agenda – the Make it in America agenda – something I have long been fighting for.”

Extending unemployment benefits is not only good for the unemployed; it is also one of the best and fastest ways to stimulate the economy, according to analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Unemployment benefits were responsible for creating more than 1 million jobs since the recession started, and adding almost 2 percent to the gross domestic product according to the Economic Policy Institute.  In fact, every dollar in unemployment benefits creates $1.61 in economic activity, according to Economist and former John McCain advisor, Mark Zandi.