Democrats plan big push on jobless aid in new year
![Unemployment benefits expire for 1.3 million: Obama visits Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Christmas Day.: Obama, who is spending the holidays in Hawaii with his family, on Friday telephoned Democratic Senator Jack Reed and Republican Senator Dean Heller, the sponsors of a measure that would temporarily extend the federal unemployment benefits.]({"default":"http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/30/5bcbaa9c61fee5c2379267a370cdc5/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg"})
Reuters Photo
Unemployment benefits expire for 1.3 million
Americans on Saturday. A partisan fight is expected over an effort to extend the
payments.
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and Democrats will make a major push when
Congress returns January 6 to renew expired benefits for the unemployed and will
seek to pressure Republicans over the issue by painting them as uncaring toward
the middle class.
With Congress in recess, no last-minute fix is possible.
Democrats have spent much of the holiday week criticizing Republicans for resisting an extension of the emergency jobless aid program, which began in 2008 under President George W. Bush and has been extended every year since then.
The federal benefits kick in once people exhaust their state jobless benefits, which end in many states after 26 weeks.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed to make an extension of the benefits the top issue in his chamber when Congress returns on January 6.
The issue is part of an economic agenda aimed at winning support from middle-class Americans. Along with the push for an extension of unemployment insurance, Democrats will also push for an increase in the minimum wage.
The renewal of unemployment benefits is expected to face opposition in the Republican-led House of Representatives, but Democrats said this week they are increasingly optimistic about gaining political traction for the issue.
Democrats have been highlighting the personal stories of out-of-work Americans about to be bumped off the unemployment rolls.
With Congress in recess, no last-minute fix is possible.
Democrats have spent much of the holiday week criticizing Republicans for resisting an extension of the emergency jobless aid program, which began in 2008 under President George W. Bush and has been extended every year since then.
The federal benefits kick in once people exhaust their state jobless benefits, which end in many states after 26 weeks.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed to make an extension of the benefits the top issue in his chamber when Congress returns on January 6.
The issue is part of an economic agenda aimed at winning support from middle-class Americans. Along with the push for an extension of unemployment insurance, Democrats will also push for an increase in the minimum wage.
The renewal of unemployment benefits is expected to face opposition in the Republican-led House of Representatives, but Democrats said this week they are increasingly optimistic about gaining political traction for the issue.
Democrats have been highlighting the personal stories of out-of-work Americans about to be bumped off the unemployment rolls.
