Susan Davis: “Last year, as many have said, ended on a somber note. Over 1 million of our fellow Americans lost a vital economic…”

“Last year, as many have said, ended on a somber note. Over 1 million of our fellow Americans lost a vital economic lifeline, the temporary insurance that helps them get by while searching for a new job. Louise, a constituent of mine from San Diego, recently wrote me to explain what losing such benefits means to her. She is 60 years old, and she has been looking for work since she was laid off a year ago from a stable job that she had held just for about 15 years. And as she mentioned: It is very scary to think that effectively, on January 1, I won't have any income. So what am I to do? I will have a roof over my head for a short time, but I won't have the funds to pay for utilities. And she went on to say: By cutting extended unemployment, all that will be accomplished is more people being on welfare or living on the streets homeless. And that, that helps us? How? Her story reminds us of our duty to lend a hand to those in need. Any of us could be in her shoes. Extending unemployment benefits is not only the right thing, but it is also good for our economy. ____________________”