Christian Leaders Express Concern over Unemployment Insurance Expiration
Leaders of the Circle of Protection, a group of Christian leaders from various denominations and organizations, are urging Congress to extend federal emergency unemployment benefits as it resumes its sessions today.
"With 10.4 million people unemployed and three job seekers for every job opening, a moral obligation exists to help protect the life and dignity of unemployed workers and their families," Christian leaders wrote members of Congress. "Just days after Christmas, 1.3 million unemployed workers were cut off from emergency unemployment assistance. It is time to correct this wrong."
Earlier this month, the Senate voted to advance legislation that would extend emergency unemployment for the 1.3 million people who lost their benefits on Dec. 28. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act (S. 1845) narrowly passed by a vote of 60-37. The House of Representatives has not yet passed a similar bill.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, federal unemployment insurance kept 1.7 million people, including 446,000 children, out of poverty in 2012. However, even with recent economic growth, there are still 1.2 million fewer jobs than at the beginning of the Great Recession in 2008. The unemployment rate remains 44 percent higher than it was at the start of the recession. Nearly two-fifths of unemployed people, or nearly 4 million people, have been looking for work for more than six months.
Some members of Congress have proposed cutting other important low-income programs to pay for unemployment insurance benefits. In their letter, the Christian leaders ask lawmakers to refrain from cutting such benefits like the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit, which kept more than 10 million people, including 5.3 million children, out of poverty in 2012.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/christian-leaders-express-concern-over-unemployment-insurance-expiration-242220061.html
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