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Senate leader Reid has ‘hope’ Congress will restore Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC)

By staff

Socialist leader condemns government inaction

Washington, DC – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated in a June 6 press statement, “It is my hope that Congress can still act on extending unemployment. This vital lifeline is so critical to struggling families in Nevada and throughout the country.”

Addressing the House impasse that is holding up legislation to bring back unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless, Reid condemned the Republican leadership stating, “Speaker Boehner has refused to consider an extension of unemployment insurance to over 2.9 million Americans out of work.”

The crisis began in December 2013 when Congress failed to pass legislation to continue Extended Unemployment Compensation. Democratic leaders in Congress did not insist on including benefits for the long-term jobless in the budget compromise, which gave House Republicans the say-so over any attempt to bring back the emergency benefits.

Many observers say that President Obama is unwilling to expend political capital to see a restoration of the benefits.

Steff Yorek, a spokesperson for Freedom Road Socialist Organization, condemned congressional inaction on June 7 stating, “Unemployed workers who have lost their jobs due to no fault of their own are facing a crisis. They are losing their homes, their cars are being repossessed, utilities are cut off and families are being destroyed. The so called ‘job creators’ are failures and so is their capitalist system. Congress needs to act now and restore emergency unemployment benefits for the long term jobless.”

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