Senate Passes 5 Month Unemployment Insurance Renewal
Schatz Urges House to Vote on Unemployment Insurance
Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation to renew unemployment insurance for five months and give immediate relief to millions of Americans, including more than 200,000 veterans, who lost unemployment insurance starting on December 28, 2013. The bill will allow for retroactive payments to eligible beneficiaries going back to December 28th. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) has been a vocal advocate of the need to restore unemployment insurance, voting earlier this year to advance legislation to extend benefits.
“Unemployment benefits not only help families who need it when they fall on hard times, but they also spur economic growth and create jobs,” said Senator Schatz. “The thousands of families in Hawai‘i and the millions across the country who are struggling to get by while looking for a new job deserve for the House to do what’s right and give this bill a vote.”
About 7,700 people have been affected by the expiration of the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program.
The U.S. Senate voted 59-38 to pass the bipartisan bill. The House of Representatives has not yet scheduled a vote on this legislation.
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