• The Unemployment Extension bill passed in the US Senate unanimously on November 4, 2009 and was signed into law by President Obama on November 6.http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/11/06/unemployment-extension-adds-up-to-99-weeks-of-benefits/ The bill extends unemployment benefits for potentially up to 14 weeks. Eligibility for extended benefits ends on December 31, 2009; Congress passed an extension to February 28, 2010 on December 19. The bill will become ;law when signed by President Obama.http://economy.freedomblogging.com/2009/12/19/senate-approves-jobless-extension/


    Prior to passing, the bill had been stalled in the Senate after being passed by the House in early October.


    The Democratic Senate leaders who had been proposing alternate unemployment extension bills reached a compromise on October 8, 2009. The compromise bill, sponsored by Senators Harry Reid, Max Baucus, Jack Reed and Jeanne Shaheen would extend unemployment benefits in states where the average unemployment rate over the past three months has exceeded 8.5% by 20 weeks. Unemployed workers in other states would receive a 14 week extension. This exceeds the extension passed in the House, which extended unemployment benefits only in states with unemployment over 8.5% and only for 13 weeks.http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/280284


    On October 27, 2009, the Senate voted to vote on the bill. No deadline for the actual vote was agreed upon, however.http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/careers/sfl-ask-career,0,6220477.story The Republicans are urging that the bill be funded from unspent stimulus funds, rather than extending the FUTA tax.http://washingtonindependent.com/65781/clarifying-those-amendments-that-have-stalled-the-unemployment-debate

  • Unemployment Extension Facts

    1. Without extension, 1,000,000 people wer forecast to lose benefits by December 31, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/opinion/17sat2.html
    2. House vote: September 22, 331-83 http://www.detnews.com/article/20090922/POLITICS03/909220386/1361/House-approves-extension-for-unemployment-benefits
    3. Fourth unemployment extension since the recession began http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125329779060523537.html
    4. HR 3458 would extend benefits to 46 weeks for workers in hardest hit states http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125329779060523537.html
    5. Funded by: Extension of FUTA surtax on employers of $14 per year, per employee for an additional 18 months http://progressillinois.com/2009/10/14/gop-temporarily-blocks-ui
    6. Cost: Estimated to be $1.4 billion http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_268142350.html
    7. President Obama signed the bill on November 6, 2009 http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/11/06/unemployment-extension-adds-up-to-99-weeks-of-benefits/

  • 2009 Unemployment Extension Background

    The House of Representatives passed "The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009" (HR 3458), on Tuesday September 22, 2009 with a vote of 331-83.http://www.detnews.com/article/20090922/POLITICS03/909220386/1361/House-approves-extension-for-unemployment-benefits It would extend unemployment benefits an additional thirteen weeks in states where the the three month rolling average for unemployment is over 8.5%. This would be the fourth unemployment extension since the recession began.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125329779060523537.html http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_HR_3404.html http://www.detnews.com/article/20090918/BIZ/909180431/U.S.-House-to-vote-Tuesday-on-unemployment-extension http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqKTP0hRM1QjlmCkDhtAuS39uFFgD9AG25J00


    The bill was expected to face little opposition in the Senate, where a similar bill is pending as S 1647.http://www.detnews.com/article/20090910/BIZ/909100455/1409/METRO/Pelosi--House-to-act-quickly-to-extend-jobless-benefits-for-Michiganians http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200909151422dowjonesdjonline000529&title=senior-senate-dems-urge-quick-extension-of-jobless-benefits http://michiganmessenger.com/26697/u-s-house-passes-unemployment-extension-bill The bill has been slowed down by pressure from the senators who represent the 23 states who would not qualify for the extension under the House bill to amend the bill to extend benefits to all states.http://www.capitolhillreports.com/100109.htm While Senate majority leader Harry Reid has proposed to give the 23 states not included in the bill an additional 4 weeks of benefits, and reduce the maximum extension from 13 weeks to 12, New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen has said she will propose an amendment to treat all states equally.http://www.detnews.com/article/20091002/BIZ/910020433/1361/Amendment-could-delay-jobless-benefits-bill Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island has proposed giving all states an additional 4 weeks, which would mean a 4 week extension for those states excluded from the House bill, and a total of 17 weeks to those states with unemployment over 8.5%.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/05/ap/congress/main5363168.shtml Senator Charles Schumer said on October 4, 2009, on This Week with George Stephanopolus that he expected Reid's version to pass the Senate within a week.

  • HR 3404

    Representative Jim McDermott, of Washington State, sponsor of HR 3548, also sponsored an alternate version of the bill as HR 3404. The original bill would have provided an additional 13 weeks of benefits in states where the three month rolling average for unemployment is over 9%. http://jobsearch.about.com/od/unemployment/a/unempextension.htm 1.3 million Americans will lose unemployment benefits by the end of the year unless another extension is approved.http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqKTP0hRM1QjlmCkDhtAuS39uFFgD9AG25J00

  • States Covered By Unemployment Extension

    As of the date the unemployment extesion bill passed the House (September 22, 2009), the following states were eligible for extended benefits.


  • Unemployment Extension Act of 2008

    President George W. Bush signed the Unemployment Extension Act of 2008 on Friday, November 21, 2008. The law allows people whose unemployment benefits have expired to extend their benefits by seven weeks in all 50 states. In states where the unemployment rate is over 6%, those entitled will be able to extend their benefits for an additional 13 weeks.CNNMoney: Unemployment Insurance Benefits: What You Should Know (November 21, 2008)

    In mid-November of 2008, there were over 10 million out-of-work Americans and the unemployment rate was the highest it had been since 1992.CBC.ca: Bush Signs Bill Extending Unemployment Benefits into Law (November 21, 2008)Buffalo News: 10 Million Americans Out of Work Last Month(November 8, 208)

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