On Thursday, the U.S. Senate, by a surprising 75-22 veto-proof vote, approved a measure to extend UI benefits for the long-term jobless.
The vote was on an amendment to a supplemental spending bill to fund the war in Iraq. President Bush has repeatedly said he would veto the bill if it includes a UI extension.
Both of Minnesota\'s senators, Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Amy Klobuchar, voted to support the war funding bill including the unemployment benefit extension.
"Extending unemployment benefits is the right thing and the responsible thing to do, and now is the time," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said in applauding the vote. "Working families are footing the bill for the war. The least Congress can do is give them the help they need in these tough times."
Some 3.5 million unemployed workers will lose jobless benefits this year. The legislation would provide an additional 13 weeks of UI benefits for jobless workers in every state and an additional 13 weeks to those in states with high unemployment rates (more than 6 percent).
A Congressional Budget Office report said the added benefits would provide a quick stimulus to the flagging economy.
The U.S. House passed a war funding bill last week that included a UI extension and Bush reiterated his threat to veto the bill if help for the jobless was included. Thursday\'s Senate vote was far more than needed to override a veto, if it holds up. However the 256-166 House vote is more than 30 votes short of the two-thirds needed for an override.
Earlier this year, the AFL-CIO urged Congress to include a UI extension in an economic stimulus package, but it was dropped from the legislation after Bush said he would veto the bill if it included an extension.
Mike Hall writes for the AFL-CIO news site, http://blog.aflcio.org
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On Thursday, the U.S. Senate, by a surprising 75-22 veto-proof vote, approved a measure to extend UI benefits for the long-term jobless.
The vote was on an amendment to a supplemental spending bill to fund the war in Iraq. President Bush has repeatedly said he would veto the bill if it includes a UI extension.
Both of Minnesota\’s senators, Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Amy Klobuchar, voted to support the war funding bill including the unemployment benefit extension.
"Extending unemployment benefits is the right thing and the responsible thing to do, and now is the time," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said in applauding the vote. "Working families are footing the bill for the war. The least Congress can do is give them the help they need in these tough times."
Some 3.5 million unemployed workers will lose jobless benefits this year. The legislation would provide an additional 13 weeks of UI benefits for jobless workers in every state and an additional 13 weeks to those in states with high unemployment rates (more than 6 percent).
A Congressional Budget Office report said the added benefits would provide a quick stimulus to the flagging economy.
The U.S. House passed a war funding bill last week that included a UI extension and Bush reiterated his threat to veto the bill if help for the jobless was included. Thursday\’s Senate vote was far more than needed to override a veto, if it holds up. However the 256-166 House vote is more than 30 votes short of the two-thirds needed for an override.
Earlier this year, the AFL-CIO urged Congress to include a UI extension in an economic stimulus package, but it was dropped from the legislation after Bush said he would veto the bill if it included an extension.
Mike Hall writes for the AFL-CIO news site, http://blog.aflcio.org