In a move that will benefit over two million jobless Americans, the US House has voted to restore aid for unemployed people, and give go ahead to the six-month extension of emergency jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. The house voted 272-152 to give the measure final approval and referred it to the White House. The president is likely to sign the bill into law soon. The Senate had passed the bill on Wednesday.
The bill envisages a revival of a program that includes provision of up to 99 weeks income support to those who exhausted state benefits and restoration of aid to nearly 3 million people who were deprived of the privilege as the program expired on June 2. Both parties agreed that the aid should be continued to those who lost their jobs due to the recession. The legislation comes after months of tussle over the issue that whether the government should increase national debt in a bid to help the employed people.
Republicans said that the government should release USD 30 million from unexpended funds from last year's economic stimulus package. "I haven't heard anybody say we shouldn't be extending unemployment benefits. The difference is one side wants to borrow 34 cents on the dollar, mainly from the Chinese, and send the bill to our children and our grandchildren," said Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.).
Democrats meanwhile contended emergency benefits had never delivered positive results, even during the Reagan administration. "They'll say it's because of the deficit. But in reality, they're simply trying to make this president fail at any cost," said Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), who accused the GOP of trying to "infect" voters with "fiscal fear." "The Republican leadership in Congress has decided that the way to get the White House back is by denying unemployment benefits to people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and show them that this government doesn't work," he said.
