Rep Favors Extending UI Benefits

Rep. Joseph Crowley applauded the passage of up to 13 more weeks of extended unemployment benefits for an estimated 89,662 out-of-work New Yorkers who would have run out of unemployment benefits this December.

The extended benefits were ap proved for 29 high unemployment states including New York by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 (H.R. 3548). The bill does not add to the federal deficit, and was passed by an over whelming bipartisan vote of 331 83.

“New York has been severely im pacted by the economic downturn and I am glad additional aid will be provided to those in Queens and the Bronx who have been hardest hit by this recession,” said Crowley. “Over 89,000 New Yorkers and their fami lies would have seen their unemploy ment benefits evaporate during the upcoming holiday season if not for this act by Congress. I am proud to have supported this important lifeline for thousands in my community.”

The Unemployment Compensa tion Extension Act of 2009 (H.R. 3548) will help over 89,000 New Yorkers, with benefits including:

• Up to another 13 weeks of ex tended unemployment benefits in 29 high unemployment states including New York. This brings the total num ber of emergency benefits to 46 weeks for out of work New Yorkers;

• Extension of unemployment benefits for an estimated 89,662 workers in New York, who would otherwise exhaust both their regular and American Reinvestment and Re covery Act extended benefits by the end of the year;

• Assistance for over a total of one million jobless workers across the na tion who reside in other high unem ployment States who are projected to run out of unemployment compensa tion by the end of the year.

• The extension of unemployment benefits is deficit neutral and it is fully paid for by a one year extension of the federal unemployment tax and a systemic reduction of overpay ments.

Congressman Crowley is a co sponsor of the Unemployment Com pensation Extension Act of 2009 and a member of the exclusive Commit tee on Ways and Means, which has jurisdiction over the unemployment insurance program.