Van Hollen Statement On The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act

Statement

Today Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Assistant to the Speaker, issued the following statement on House passage of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009:

"Unemployment rates remain historically high, but we are beginning to see signs of economic recovery. Though the August 2009 jobs report announced that 216,000 jobs were lost, it was the fewest jobs lost in a year. We are seeing rebounds in the housing and stock markets. The gross domestic product is stabilizing. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Recovery Act that Congress passed earlier this year prevented a severe economic collapse and has succeeded in putting money back into the economy, creating jobs, and providing tax relief to 95 percent of Americans. While this economic progress is welcome news, much work remains to be done in rebuilding our economy.

"Too many Americans remain out of work at no fault of their own and are still struggling to make ends meet. If we do not act to extend unemployment benefits, thousands of American workers will run out of unemployment compensation by the end of September, and over one million will exhaust benefits by the end of the year. By passing this much-needed legislation, we will continue to help those in need during this economic recovery."

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