Marcy Kaptur: “It has now been more than 2 months since mindless sequestration across-the-board cuts were enacted, crippling so many…”

“It has now been more than 2 months since mindless sequestration across-the-board cuts were enacted, crippling so many important services and benefits that Americans rely on, such as Social Security processing at Social Security offices around this country. Well, there's another very important earned benefit that's being cut--unemployment benefits. Republicans keep rewarding the superrich while cutting unemployment benefits. When you cut benefits, you not only hurt men and women who are looking for work, you actually hurt economic recovery. Fact: unemployment checks pump money back into local communities, helping the economy to recover. Where does the money go? Groceries, gasoline, school clothing, rent payments, basics. The U.S. Department of Labor, during the Bush administration, found that every dollar spent on unemployment benefits pumped $2 back in to the local economy. It's a good deal. Therefore, sequestration cuts in unemployment compensation inflict pain not only on jobless families, but also harms economic growth in a major way. I call on my Republican colleagues to come to the table, compromise, reverse the mindless sequester that is cutting unemployment benefits. Let's celebrate Mother's Day by paying workers their full earned benefits, not imposing more worry on the unemployed among America's working families. ____________________”