A Note from Uncle Harry

First posted on FB 1/27/14:

January 23, 2014
Dear Ms. Hammett:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue.

As you know, on December 17, 2013, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Dean Heller (R-NV) introduced the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act (S. 1845). This bill would extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program by three months. It would also provide retroactive benefits to those that did not receive unemployment insurance due to the lapse of the program at the end of 2013. Sen. Reed also introduced an amendment (S.AMDT. 2631) to S. 1845 that would extend the EUC program for ten and a half months, instead of three, and would provide offsetting cuts elsewhere in the federal budget to pay for the extension.



On January 15, 2013, despite both receiving a majority of the vote, the ten and a half-month and three-month extensions of the EUC program nonetheless failed to garner enough votes to overcome Republican filibusters.

I was disappointed by the Republican decision to filibuster this vital program for millions of Americans in need of help them get through hard times. Today long-term unemployment is double what it was at any other time Congress has allowed emergency benefits to lapse. Yet Republicans refuse to even allow an up-or-down vote on a plan to restore benefits to almost 1.5 million Americans and their 2.3 million children.

With the Republican vote against the extension of unemployment benefits, almost 1.5 million Americans, including tens of thousands of veterans, will now lose their benefits. This comes at a time when 18,000 Nevadans are still looking for work and 2.3 million children have parents who are out of work. 70,000 people will lose their unemployment benefits every week until Congress acts.

I remain committed to bringing an extension of EUC benefits to the Senate floor as soon as it has garnered enough votes to overcome a filibuster.

Please be assured that I have noted your thoughts on extending the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

My best wishes to you.

Sincerely,
HARRY REID
United States Senator

HR:cs