REP. MIKE THOMPSON STATEMENT ON BIPARTISAN SENATE VOTE TO CONSIDER EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE EXTENSION

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5), a senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, issued the following statement after the Senate voted to begin consideration of a bipartisan three-month extension of emergency unemployment insurance (S. 1845) on a vote of 60 to 37:

"Today's bipartisan vote in the Senate is a positive step towards reinstating an important economic lifeline that millions of Americans depend on as they make the transition from joblessness to employment," said Thompson."Even though our economy continues to improve, there is still just one job for every three unemployed workers. People want to work, but they're out of a job through no fault of their own. The House Majority should follow the Senate's lead and end their refusal to take up legislation that boosts our economy, and helps make sure millions of American families are able to heat their homes and put food on the table as they look for a job."

At the end of December, 1.3 million Americans lost emergency unemployment insurance, including 214,000 Californians, when the program expired. An additional 325,800 people in California will lose their coverage in the first six months of 2014 if no action is taken, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In California, more than 12,500 people will lose their benefits each week going forward if no action is taken.

The federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program took effect in 2008 when it was signed into law by President George W. Bush, and has been reauthorized several times since as our economy continues to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression. Despite the economic progress made since 2008, there are still more than 1 million fewer jobs than there were before the recession began, and more than 4 million Americans have been out of work for six months or longer.

Failure to extend federal emergency unemployment insurance will cost our economy 240,000 jobs, including 46,000 jobs in California, over the next year – hurting economic growth and making it harder for the unemployed to find work.

Thompson is a co-author of H.R. 3546, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2013. H.R. 3546 would extend emergency unemployment insurance for one year and has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.


Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

# # #