June 17th, 2010

Unemployment Benefits and Claims Suffer after HR 4213 Woes.  The Senate is hung up on the Tax Extenders Bill (HR 4213). The unemployment extension that is much needed after the June 2nd cutoff for benefits still has not been passed. Cited are fears about deficit spending on the behalf of the US government.

Many think that the concern over deficit spending comes at a very strange time. Why all of a sudden when Americans need money does Congress all of  a sudden grow a heart and start worrying about the country’s propensity for overspending?

The Tax Extenders Bill that failed in the Senate would have extended federal emergency unemployment benefits and COBRA subsidies to the unemployed until November 30, 2010.  Now, those who have exhausted their state’s benefits and are sitting in the tiers of federal emergency unemployment are sitting in limbo.

The Senate claims that they are working on alternative versions of the bill that would be less expensive and pose less of a burden on the economy. However, with a “cheaper” bill it could be the American worker that suffers. Expect some of the unemployment benefits to be watered down – but any benefit is better than no benefit at all.

As the recession and unemployment situation in the US continues to trek on, we will keep you informed of progress with bills that are heading through Congress that may help the unemployed.

Source:  HR 4213 Bill