Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick: “I regret that Congress did not pass an extension of unemployment benefits last year. Last November, the other body…”

“I regret that Congress did not pass an extension of unemployment benefits last year. Last November, the other body passed a bill that cost $5 billion and would have provided 13 weeks of additional UI benefits to jobless Americans. The House passed a paltry bill that cost $900 million that would have extended benefits only through the end of January. I'm delighted that this bill is closer to the one that was proposed by the Democrats in the other body last year. The bill we are considering today costs $7.6 billion and it extends unemployment benefits through the end of May. It gives an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits to jobless Americans who have exhausted their 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. I am pleased that the bill is retroactive to December 28, so that those who had their benefits cut off on this date would receive the remainder of the 13 weeks owed to them. Even though the bill is an improvement over last year's attempt, it is not enough. The bill excludes from coverage one million Americans who have exhausted their unemployment benefits and who have not found a job. These people will not be eligible for the extended benefits proposed under this bill, and they need our help. But this bill slams the door shut on their need for extended benefits. This action should come as no surprise. The majority has consistently voted to exclude segments of the unemployed from receiving jobless benefits.”