The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act would extend the federally-funded Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program until the end of June and would guarantee every unemployed worker at least 26 additional weeks of extended benefits.  Without action, the benefits will expire on December 28.

“As our nation's economy continues to struggle towards recovery, hundreds of thousands of Americans simply cannot find gainful employment,” said Congressman Langevin. “Workers and their families are hurting.  Extending unemployment benefits for worried families must be Congress’ first priority when we return in January.”

The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act includes coverage for jobless workers who have exhausted TEUC benefits over the last six months.  For example, a worker who exhausted his or her 13 weeks under the current TEUC program would be eligible for another 13 weeks for a total of 26 weeks of extended benefits..
 
In his Saturday radio address, President Bush called for a short-term extension of unemployment benefits for only those Americans whose relief runs out on December 28th and after,  and for retroactive payments of those checks they missed as a result of the House Leadership’s inaction on the issue.

Earlier this month, the Labor Department announced that national unemployment rose to an eight-year high of 6 percent.  Nationally, 1.73 million individuals have been unemployed 27 weeks or more, the highest number of long-term unemployed since September 1993.

-30-