Senator Stabenow Introduces Legislation For 99ers Seeking A Tier 5 Unemployment Insurance Extension

Finally, someone in the United States Senate is doing something for the 99ers.

In case you missed it, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), stated the following on the Ed Schultz Show tonight. 

"I'm introducing legislation with a number of Democratic sponsors, Senator Schumer is the main co-sponsor, and this bill will do two things:  Extend the unemployment insurance benefits for those who have exhausted benefits for an additional 20(twenty) weeks and secondly increase the incentive for employers to hire them." -Senator Debbie Stabenow

Here is the video of what happened on the Ed Schultz Show today: 

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This welcomed news for millions of unemployed Americans who have fallen through the cracks and been abandoned is very late - but it is finally here.  There is finally legislation being introduced.  The bill will be called the Americans Want to Work Act.  The name is fitting given the number of unemployed in this country. 

There are no guarantees - but the United States House of Representatives will be summoned back into session next week as a bill was passed in the United States Senate today which provides relief to cash-strapped states.  Two bills which help American workers could be passed next week.  One being the extremely overdue, but finally here, bill which will help the 99ers and the other bill which has passed the US Senate today which is projected to save jobs which would have been cut without action from the federal government.

More information will be posted as it develops.  Please stand by Senators Stabenow and Schumer and the Americans Want to Work Act.  Key Senators to contact may be Senators Snowe and Collins who have been independently-minded enough to counter the republican filibuster machine which will be certain to raise the bar on opposition.

Full article here.

Just In Case You Missed It - The Long Term Unemployed Hit Mainstream Media

Here is what aired on the Ed Schultz Show thanks to the many of you out there who emailed him and let him know about the plight of the long-term unemployed. 

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This was a very quick exchange between Ed Schultz and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).  But just this small amount of coverage is better than what the long term unemployed have not been receiving from mainstream press. This is without doubt, progress and a major leap in the right direction for those who have exhausted benefits.

Everyone, help US Unemployed Blogsite and so many others who are advocating for this keep this story alive by continuing to contact Ed Schultz.  A simple thank you for starters for even covering the story to begin and ask him to please keep asking these Senators the tough questions such as:  when will those who have exhausted benefits see relief? 

As posted previously, it is looking more and more like that relief will be coming in the form of a second stimulus act.  Congress is not going to amend $200 billion (or more) to H.R. 4213 for persons who have exhausted benefits.  At the risk of a reader perhaps thinking that I am rude for saying this, I must tell you politics is something that I personally have followed for a long time - during the Clinton Administration even.  This large-scale amendment has not been through the Finance Committee and they would not hold up the benefits that are scheduled to sunset on June 2, 2010 to wait on any amendment.  Doing so would cause them to miss the deadline again this month and it is just not feasible that route would be taken.

Those who have exhausted benefits are making major breakthroughs in just this past week.  More coverage and signals of action within this past week than in the past two months combined to be exact.

Keep up your work.  Keep spreading the word about the petition at Change.org.  Keep sending off the Senate and Media SOS emails and faxes.  Keep calling members of Congress.  There is a door that is barely hanging on one hinge and with a little more push we can knock that door down.

Michigan Unemployment Rate 14.1% - Total Jobless In Michigan: 1.4 Million And They Need #Tier5

According to the United States Census Bureau, Population Division and the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Wikipedia, the State of Michigan has a total population of 9,969,727 and an unemployment rate at 14.1% (underemployment is much higher). 

This state, like many others, has numbers comparable to the Great Depression unemployment numbers.  But worse if you factor conditions such as population and take the percentages out of the equation and look at the total number of people affected.  There are at least 1.4 Million unemployed in the State of Michigan.  Or to be more specific, 1,405,732, at least.

The two United States Senators from this state are Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin.  Their contact information is located here:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=MI

The voting record for these two Senators has always been in favor of the unemployed.  This is one of the main reasons why so many millions of unemployed who have exhausted their benefits are looking to these Senators for action.  (And not just the unemployed from the State of Michigan are asking for the support of Tier 5 Unemployment).  Many others who feel they do not have representation in the state they are in are also seeking assistance from all Senators.

Tier 5 Unemployment Insurance is a necessity that many jobless Americans are continuing to band together and fight for each day.  For more information to join the efforts of these campaigns, please see the campaigns for Tier 5 Unemployment at the top right corner of this blog on the sidebar. 

Information will be updated as it is known.

Unemployed in Michigan are sharing resources in the following arenas:

Unemployed-Friends.com - Michigan Forum

Four Pillars Forum - Unemployment Benefits Extension

Once again, if anyone else knows of another resource where Michigan residents are sharing resources, please post the information in comments so that anyone who stumbles upon this information by search engine has the information. 

This is the link to Michigan's Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth

Why Have A Tier 4 That Is Only 6 Weeks?

If logic were to enter the equation, the question must be asked why Congress would create a Tier of unemployment benefits with only six weeks. This is by design and most economists expect Congress to add weeks to Tier 4 and/or create a Tier 5.

The problem is - no one knows when. The media is barely covering the lack of an extension of weeks in the latest extension. It was a small battle just to get the dates extended out for the existing tiers of unemployment and there is no current legislation seeking the extension of weeks or adding tiers.

There is, an increasing number of buzz...

It could be partially true, in Sen. Jon Kyl's words, that no one would ever seek employment if the program continued to be extended over and over. (Although it is very juvenile for him to think that the unemployed collect unemployment insurance by choice). It is more the truth in the words of Sen. Debbie Stabenow that for every dollar spent on unemployment, amounts to a $1.50+ of direct stimulus to the economy.

The abuse of the few have undermined the needs of the many. In an honor system, we would all just extend out unemployment to everyone until they got a job. "No need to show proof, Mr. Smith. You are a well-known, respected citizen." Those days left a very long time ago. Those days did not exist during the Kennedy Administration.

In this age of disinformation and persons deliberately abusing the system it creates the need for a system of checks and balances. It creates a need for someone to constantly inspect fraud, waste, and abuse. In some cases, it encourages someone who may have gave up looking for work a new lease on trying. In some cases, it will cause a family to default on their mortgage. I agree, the system is not fair. It does seem to be the American way.

Critics of unemployment insurance would argue it is creating an addition to welfare or socialism. There's nothing socialist about people losing their homes or being unable to provide food and basic necessities. It is a very real and serious threat many families are facing in this recession.

Ultimately, another extension (of weeks) will prevail. The advice of the economist will win the debate over the Republican who cannot fathom giving another cent to the unemployed. (As if the funds came directly from his pocket). Some of these conservatives could better suit their politics if they spent more time and resources helping to create jobs in their districts rather than criticizing every action from their opposition.

Politics will rein this year as midterm elections near. Regardless what Congress does this year - be it health care reform or creating jobs or omnibus bills that have a little of everything for everyone. Soon, everything will be on hold until after the mid-term elections.

No one knows when Congress will take up an extension of weeks of benefits. If they plan to pass the bill based on the trigger system and unemployment rates, yesterday would have been great.

Email, call, and write your representatives daily. US Unemployed is awaiting a response from Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich). She has been a champion for unemployment assistance and she may be able to shed some light on when Congress may take this up. There are no official updates. Only strong speculation and a lot of growing buzz around the issue.

We will keep you up to date.

Sen. Jon Kyl Says Congress Will Pass Extended Jobless Benefits

Congress will pass legislation aimed at keeping certain jobless benefits, highway and transit money and other government programs funded, Sen. Jon Kyl, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, said Sunday.

But the approval was highly unlikely to come before this morning. Several programs were to expire at midnight Sunday, and Congress has failed to extend them because of an objection by Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky. Bunning wants the $10 billion price offset by budget reductions.

The Senate is not expected to act until Tuesday at the earliest, which means as of this morning, certain extended jobless benefits will not be available. Neither will some highway or transit funds, small-business loans or help for newly laid-off workers for their insurance premiums.

Kyl, though, told Fox News Sunday flatly, "It will pass."

The Arizona senator also sympathized with Bunning. Recently, Congress adopted "pay as you go" rules requiring that, in many cases, new programs must be paid for. So why, Bunning asked, if these extensions are so popular, can't Congress find the money to fund them?

Democrats continued to express anger.

"Because of one senator's irresponsible actions, over 61,000 Michigan workers will begin losing their unemployment benefits on Monday," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

Most people already getting extra jobless benefits are unlikely to be affected. Those who will feel the impact could include people who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state benefits and qualify for more aid under federal guidelines.

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