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Kildee: Senate Failure to Act Could Mean Millions Lose Unemployment Insurance Benefits

June 3, 2020

$600/Week Federal Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Expires in July Unless Mitch McConnell Acts

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) Chief Deputy Whip of the Democratic Caucus, today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to immediately take upThe Heroes Act,which would provide critical aid to Michiganders, including extending federal unemployment insurance benefits set to run out at the end of July without action.

During the House Budget Committee's first-ever virtual hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Kildee highlighted the stories of hundreds of recently unemployed Michiganders who have reached out to his congressional office for help. Michigan has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Michigan's unemployment rate recently rose to 22.7%, the worst jobless numbers in eight decades and worse than the Great Recession. Since the pandemic began, over 1.7 million Michiganders have filed unemployment claims. Michigan has reported 5,570 deaths as of today due to COVID-19.

"Michiganders still need our help to get through this health and economic crisis. Across the country, over 40 million Americans have lost their jobs. Even as we begin to safely reopen our economy, jobs will not come back as fast as they were lost due to this virus. That is why it is critical that Congress supports a strong unemployment insurance system that ensures no worker falls through the cracks.The House has passedThe Heroes Act to extend the federally backed extended unemployment insurance, and the Senate must act without delay. Unless the Senate acts, millions of Americans will lose their extended unemployment benefits at the end of July."

Congressman Kildee previously introduced theStrengthening Unemployment Insurance for Coronavirus Impacted Workers and Students Actto extend UI benefits and successfully pushed to include these provisions inThe Heroes Act,including extending federal pandemic UI benefits through January 31, 2021,exempting UI benefits from income to determine eligibility for other means-tested programs, and extending federal funding of extended unemployment compensation (EB) through June 30, 2021. Congressman Kildee also successfully pushed other changes, including additional $1,200 payments to families and seniors, increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, and funding to prevent water shutoffs.

A video of Congressman Kildee remarks today at the Budget Committee hearing can be foundhere