For Immediate Release
June 6, 2008 |
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cullen Schwarz
Office: 202.225.4961
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Ways and Means Democrats
Urge Bush to Support an Extension of Unemployment Benefits |
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Letter Comes on the Heels of Today’s Report of the Highest Monthly Increase of the Unemployment Rate in 20 Years |
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(Washington D.C.)- {Responding to today’s report of an enormous increase in the unemployment rate, Representative Sander Levin, along with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel and Representative Jim McDermott, sent the following letter today to President Bush:
June 6, 2008
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
In your Administration’s statement of policy on both the House-passed and Senate-passed supplemental appropriations bills (HR 2642) you suggest concern about a number of provisions in those measures, including the proposed extension of unemployment benefits. We note that the letter did not specifically threaten to veto the bill because of the unemployment insurance (UI) extension. However, it has been suggested that you may veto the supplemental spending bill if it includes a provision extending unemployment benefits. We strongly urge you to clarify your position on this issue in light of today’s report showing the number of unemployed workers rising by 861,000 in the month of May.
We believe it would be both economically unwise and morally wrong to deny extended unemployment benefits to workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. These unemployed workers and their families are suffering in an economy that both limits their employment prospects and drives up their cost of living.
The data released today by the Department of Labor shows unemployment rising rapidly. The increase in the unemployment rate in May was the biggest one month increase in over 20 years, and the total number of unemployed workers has increased by over 1.6 million over the last 12 months. Furthermore, the number of long-term unemployed Americans (those needing extended benefits) is very high. The percentage of workers exhausting regular unemployment benefits without finding work has now risen to the same rate (37 percent) as when you signed the last extension of unemployment benefits into law in 2002. Similarly, the number of long-term jobless workers (out of work for longer than six months) is actually higher now than when you signed the previous UI extension. These long-term unemployed workers are facing an economy that has lost jobs for five consecutive months, meaning their immediate employment prospects have become even more difficult.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) assumes that roughly 3.5 million workers will exhaust their regular UI benefits in calendar year 2008 without finding new employment. It is also worth noting that CBO and most economists believe that extending unemployment benefits is one of the most effective forms of economic stimulus because laid-off workers have little choice but to spend the money quickly.
We hope you agree that we should not abandon hard-working families who are suffering the effects of the current downturn in the economy. We therefore urge you to support an extension of unemployment benefits for struggling families throughout our great nation.
Sincerely,
Charles B. Rangel
Chairman
Committee on Ways and Means
Sander M. Levin
Member
Jim McDermott
Member
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To Contact Congressman Levin: -
Email Congressman Levin In Michigan: 27085 Gratiot Ave, Roseville, MI 48066 | (586) 498-7122 | (248) 968-2025
In Washington: 1236 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 | (202) 225-4961
