Unemployment Extension - No Decision Until After The Mid-Terms

99ers and other advocates for a new Tier 5 to be introduced to the existing federal benefits structure will be disappointed to learn that although congress returns to Washington this week, their agenda does not include any legislation pertaining to the unemployment extension issue.

With the mid-term elections looming, the unemployment extensions issue seems to have been relegated to the sidelines, and no decision with regards to this issue, which is of paramount interest to millions of American households, is expected to be taken before the mid-term elections on November 2. When questioned about the progress of the bill presented by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D, MI), which is one of the most popular pieces of legislation that advocates for an addition of a new Tier 5 to the existing federal unemployment benefits structure, congress insiders have revealed that none of the preliminary work required to move this bill on to the floor has been done.

With the Republicans expected to gain control of one or even both of the Houses of Congress following the med-term elections, it seems as though the “Americans Want to Work Act” introduced by Senator Stabenow is even more unlikely to be implemented, as the Republicans have made it clear that they do not support further spending on unemployment insurance. Another fact that needs to be considered is that the current extensions to the unemployment benefits structure, which are due to expire on November 30, need to be renewed before legislation advocating for a new Tier 5 can be considered.