Senate Inaction Causes 200,000 to Lose Unemployment Benefits This Week

Economic Justice News 03.2,10

UPDATE 3/3: Late last night, the Senate passed 78-19 a 30-day extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA.


Two hundred thousand jobless workers will lose their unemployment benefits this week as a result of the Senate’s failure to extend unemployment insurance and COBRA last week, according to the National Employment Law Project (NELP).

By the end of the month, 920,000 individuals will have lost all federal unemployment benefits if the Senate does not restore the lapsed program.  In addition, hundreds of thousands of the unemployed Americans lost COBRA assistance and Medicare patients may receive limited care from doctors who will be subject to a loss of vital reimbursements from the government.


Last week, Sen. Jim Bunning, R. KY, blocked a vote for a 30-day extension of federal unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits to jobless workers.


Because of the lapse caused by the Senate delay, many families still reeling from the catastrophic effects of the massive economic downturn will find themselves with little to no support in a time that has already been riddled with uncertainty.  Right now, more than 40 percent of jobless Americans have been out of work for six months or longer and 11.5 million Americans are collecting some form of unemployment insurance. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights has called on Congress to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA till the end of 2010.


“This is a crisis, and Congress must take it seriously. There is no room for political gimmicks when so many jobless workers are struggling desperately to get by. To do right by the millions of long-term unemployed across the country, and to give them, their families and their communities the support and certainty they need, Congress must extend unemployment benefits through the end of 2010,” said Christine Owens, executive director of NELP.


NELP’s state estimates of the number of workers losing access to the federal extension.
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