Glenn English: “more than 800,000 unemployed workers throughout the U.S. and over 35,000 in Pennsylvania alone are faced with the grim…”

“more than 800,000 unemployed workers throughout the U.S. and over 35,000 in Pennsylvania alone are faced with the grim reality that their unemployment benefits will end just 3 days after Christmas. With the economy in such bad straits and so many working families suffering, we cannot stand by and let the Grinch steal Christmas from the unemployed whose holidays are already constrained by an extended period of unemployment. This cutoff is hanging like a sword of Damocles, like a Grinch, over these families; and we need to act today. This bill removes the December 28 cutoff on benefits. It allows more than 800,000 unemployed workers nationwide who will already be receiving extended benefits to temporarily continue receiving benefits when the current program expires. This bill extends federally funded benefits by up to 5 weeks per individual. This bill continues through January 2003 the current availability of additional weeks of federally funded extended benefits in certain high-unemployment States. As a longtime supporter of this issue, I feel it critical that we move now to provide extended unemployment benefits to these families. I urge my colleagues to join me in standing up to the Grinch and making sure that America's unemployed continue to receive benefits after Christmas.”