Foster Addresses Growing Unemployment

Votes for Bill to Extend Unemployment Benefits

To address the increasingly unstable economy and the growing unemployment rate, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-14) today voted to pass legislation that would extend unemployment benefits, but unfortunately the bill did not pass.

"In this sluggish economy, even people who have jobs are concerned about their future. Those looking for a job are finding it harder and harder to obtain employment, and many have exhausted their unemployment benefits," Foster said. "I am disappointed that, while the bill gained a majority of votes, it did not receive a full 2/3 majority required by suspension of the rules."

The number of long-term unemployed Americans is higher now than when Congress last extended unemployment benefits in 2002. In addition, the unemployment rate had its biggest one-month increase in over 20 years in May. Over the last 12 months, the number of unemployed workers has grown by 1.6 million.

H.R. 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act, passed the House today. The bill would immediately provide up to 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every state to workers who exhaust the 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits. Relief would run through March 2009, and would benefit 3.8 million Americans across the nation. The bill did not receive the 2/3 majority required for passage under a suspension of the rules, a legislative procedure that allows a bill to come to the floor without going through the Rules Committee. However, the bill will come up for a vote again tomorrow in regular order, and simply needs a majority to pass the House.

"People who are looking for jobs in this hostile economic environment need relief now," Foster said. "This bill will provide that relief, benefiting approximately 189,271 workers in Illinois while simultaneously stimulating our economy."

All benefits would be paid out of the federal unemployment trust funds, which currently have over $35 billion in reserves.

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