Unemployment Benefits Extension Passed By House, Senate May Follow On Friday
OPS_admin | Dec 16, 2009 | Comments 0
The House of Representatives passed a temporary extension of unemployment benefits and subsidized health insurance for laid-off workers on Wednesday as part of a $636 defense spending bill. The Senate will likely pass its defense bill with the same extensions on Friday, according to a Senate Democratic aide.
Last week, state labor commissioners traveled to Washington to implore Congress to extend unemployment benefits and the 65-percent subsidy of COBRA health insurance. Congress passed an extension in November after a wrenching delay by Senate Republicans, but that extension was built on provisions of the stimulus bill set to expire at the end of the year.
The commissioners warned that if Congress doesn’t act by the end of this week, some state unemployment offices will need to start sending notices to unemployment recipients letting them know that they will be ineligible for extensions in January.
“The actual deadline for many states is Dec. 19, so not only will you create confusion in the system but there’s the possibility of some individuals losing benefits right around the holiday season,” said Sandra Vito of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. “So the urgency by which Congress must act can’t be overstated.”
Full Story Unemployment Benefits Extension Passed By House, Senate May Follow On Friday.
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If we don't change our ways soon...
A new report by the Royal Society, chaired by Nobel prize-winning biologist Sir John Sulston warns that world population must be stabilized and consumption in wealthy nations must be reduced or the entire planet is in big trouble. As the report reads: "The number of people living on the planet has never been higher, their levels of consumption are unprecedented and vast changes are taking place in the environment. We can choose to rebalance the use of resources to a more egalitarian pattern of consumption... or we can choose to do nothing and to drift into a downward spiral of economic and environmental ills leading to a more unequal and inhospitable future."This is the same warning that President Jimmy Carter gave Americans back in the 1970's - but it was ignored when Ronald Reagan came to power with a "more positive" message basically telling Americans we can do whatever we want. And then after 9/11 - Bush told us all we should go shopping and consume ever more.And now with corporations calling the shots in Washington - long-term sustainability of the planet takes a back seat to short-term profits. If we don't change our ways soon - and embrace clean, alternative energy and educate women around the plant - then we all could be headed for a rough century.-Thom(Is there any chance we will learn in time? Tell us here.) -
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