Congresswoman Lois Frankel joined House Democrats in signing a discharge petition, led by Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), to bring up the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act.  The bill extends emergency unemployment insurance for nearly 5 million Americans looking for work through the end of the year.

 “I am especially concerned for the 200,000 veterans who have risked life and limb serving our country and need this deserved helping hand while they look for work,” said Frankel.  

The number of people who have lost their unemployment benefits as a result of the program’s Dec. 28 expiration surpassed two million last week, according to a new analysis from Ways and Means Committee Democrats. 200,000 of those affected by the cuts are veterans.  Every week, 72,000 people, on average, are losing their unemployment benefits nationwide without an extension of the program. In Florida, over 105,000 have not gotten benefits they would have otherwise received.

Extending unemployment insurance is critical for families, essential for workers, and good for our economic growth.  Failing to extend emergency UI will cost the economy 240,000 jobs this year alone.  Economists agree that unemployment insurance remains one of the best ways to grow the economy – delivering $1.52 in economic activity for every $1 spent.

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