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Pitts
Votes Against Extending Unemployment Benefits...
The U.S. House of
Representatives passed the
Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 on July
12, 2008. This bill would provide for 13 more weeks on unemployment
benefits to workers exhausting their regular unemployment compensation
in states with unemployment rates above 6 percent. The bill passed the
House by a vote of
274-137. Representative Joe Pitts, PA -16, voted against the bill.
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Bruce Slater
with retired American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) at
Millersville picnic. |
Pitts'
opponent in the 16th Congressional race, Democrat Bruce Slater,
attended the retired AFSCME picnic today held at Penn Manor Community
Park near Millersville and was asked if he supported the bill. Slater
said "YES!" and pledged to support the bill when he is elected.
Slater said, "Many
Americans are struggling to make ends meet. With rising gas and food
prices and a weakening labor market, this bill will help those hardest
hit in our sluggish economy."
"This bill is not 'pork'"
said Slater. "This bill is about Americans helping Americans who are in need.
Extending unemployment benefits is a real stimulus package which will
help heal this economy, not destroy it."
View pictures of this event...
Current economic growth
has been so sluggish that the job market is weak and job prospects are
poor. The recent May 2008 jobs report confirms that the unemployment
rate increased by one-half point to 5.5 percent, which was the biggest
one-month increase in over 20 years. Since the first of the year, our
economy has lost more than 300,000 jobs.
By providing an extra 13
weeks of jobless benefits to workers in every state who exhaust their
unemployment benefits and another 13 weeks of benefits to those in
states with high unemployment rates, approximately 4 million
unemployed workers can be helped to meet basic needs such as food and
rent while they continue to look for work.
According to the
non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, extending unemployment
benefits would be one of the most cost-effective and fastest-acting
forms of economic stimulus.
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