Civil and Human Rights Coalition Calls for Senate to Extend Unemployment Insurance

WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement urging the Senate to vote on Monday in favor of the Reed-Heller bill to extend unemployment insurance for 1.3 million Americans struggling with long-term unemployment:

“Economic downturns hurt minority communities first, worst, and longest. Adding the stigma of long-term unemployment compounds the employment challenges facing communities of color and people with disabilities, who have faced disproportionately high rates of unemployment.

Unemployment insurance is a lifeline for these families with few job prospects. A vote on Monday, the Senate’s first day in session for 2014, would offer a glimmer of hope for the 1.3 million long-term unemployed Americans who continue to struggle in this unequal economic recovery.

We applaud Senators Reed and Heller for introducing this bill and call on Congress to pass it as soon as possible.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.