Economic Stimulus Bill Leaves Millions Out in the Cold

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/08/economic-stimulus-bill-leaves-millions-out-in-the-cold/

by Mike Hall, Feb 8, 2008

The economic stimulus package approved last night by the U.S. House of Representatives—leaves the jobless “pretty much on their own,” says AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

Workers who have been laid off because of the slowing economy will not get an extension of unemployment benefits. Families who can’t pay the skyrocketing costs of fuel will be left literally in the cold. The very people who need help the most will get what they have routinely gotten from this administration and its right-wing Republican supporters: a whole lot of nothing.

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans filibustered a version of the stimulus package that included an extension of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to jobless workers who exhaust their benefits—some 200,000 workers a month run out of UI before finding a job. That bill also contained home heating assistance for low-income families. Yesterday, Senate Democrats gave up on their bid to include the jobless benefits and heating assistance.

After extending tax rebates to low-income seniors and disabled veterans, the Senate approved the House-passed version of the bill. The expansion of tax rebates to seniors and veterans in the bill meant the House needed to vote again and it approved the bill a few hours later. President Bush, who had hinted at a veto if the package contained extended jobless benefits, says he will sign this version.


FULL story at link.