Chuck Grassley: “we will extend unemployment compensation. We will support an extension, though, of current law. We will do it before its…”

“we will extend unemployment compensation. We will support an extension, though, of current law. We will do it before its expiration at the end of May. But this amendment goes beyond extending unemployment compensation as it is written in current law. This is unprecedented for sure, and I also think it is an unjustified expansion. There might be legitimate debate on that point, but there is no legitimate opposition to a statement that this is unprecedented. Also, this extension and this change in law comes at a time when unemployment is not as high as it has been in previous recessions. The current unemployment rate is 6 percent. That is compared to 7 percent at times during the 1990s and more than 8 percent during the 1980s. It was in the 1990s at 7 percent, in the 1980s at 8 percent. Those happen to be the last two times that Congress provided extended benefits. I also point out the unemployment rate right now in 23 States is lower than it was 1 year ago. When it comes to people who have exhausted benefits, this amendment would provide 26 weeks of Federal benefits even without regard to the duration of State benefits. So this violates an insurance principle that we followed for a long time inherent in the unemployment program, and it violates it by breaking the link between the time someone has worked and the time that person can collect unemployment benefits.”