Re: General EUC Discussion - Ongoing

Hoppy Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:08 am

nancym wrote:Wow, this is the most confusing thread I think we've ever had on this board; I'm seriously thinking of asking UIO to start a whole new EUC thread when the dust settles about these issues!.

AND...

nancym wrote:If I'm wrong AND if I get the job that I just had a third interview for, I'll buy both you and Gonzo (previously promised) a beer! But if I'm wrong, and I also don't get the job, I myself will be up the creek on Dec 31, but I don't think that will be the case.

Thank you nancy! I got so confused reading all the posts that I went to the AWI (can you imagine?) and read the FAQ all the way through, got all the answers to the baffling questions here and was restored to sanity!

As for that job that you "just had a third interview for..." Congrat's, Good luck and all of that! cheers

BUT, if you get that job, you must continue to monitor this forum and add your pearls of wisdom and knowledge! Very Happy

**nancym** Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:34 am

Thanks, Hoppy. Smile

bittybear Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:58 am

nancym wrote:Wow, this is the most confusing thread I think we've ever had on this board; I'm seriously thinking of asking UIO to start a whole new EUC thread when the dust settles about these issues!

First, don't go by the press, especially that freep.com. The press usually tangles up the bill summaries til you don't even know what's what in a bill. Jim Stratton is an exception at the Orlando Sentinel, mainly because he checks with us and with NELP!

=Yes, Stratton is very thorough, and even returns emails and sent a questionaire earlier this year about your experience regarding contacting AWI when they were trying to get their act together.=

Second, that other article for California is irrelevant to Florida and confuses even further because they are talking about "FedED" --California's EB, which they had to fight to get last spring just before Florida, and EB does not play into whether these EUC extensions do anything. If that guy is complaining about mainly about EB, I don't blame him!

Third, the only article I referenced is the press release by NELP. The orange "chart" I posted, is not a quote but my own analysis of the actual bills. Each Tier by the language of the bill is qualified for by exhausting the previous one. And to qualify for Tier 1 you have to exhaust regular benefits, just as you said, bittybear.

=But it's not simply one or two articles; it's every one that you read! Try this one for example:

http://washingtonindependent.com/67159/jobless-benefits-extension-stiffs-high-unemployment-states

=

The language of the bill specifies that each Tier's amount is augmented at the time that the previous Tier is exhausted, "or at any time thereafter"

=I took that to mean if you exhausted your Tier II months ago, which would be true if you were on EB. The benefits are not retroactive to when your last tier ran out, but only to the date of enactment of the current law. You would have a big gap betwen your tiers (anytime thereafter), just as we did for the first round of changing the original 13 to 20 weeks. And I always had a gap between tiers, because my benefit amount was quite paltry.=

--so no date needs to be changed for that Tier-to-Tier process. But the funding is cut off on May 31, so those people who started just before Dec 31 would never make it to the final use of legislated benefits unless Congress changes the cutoff and qualifying dates.

=That's what all these articles are saying. They're even posting that only those with a small benefit amount will even get to Tier IV, hence the language on AWI's site.=

But that does NOT imply that we have to use up all the weeks before Dec 31. And if anyone is concerned with qualifying for Tier 3, all you have to do is have a used up EUC Tier 2, that's all. The qualifying deadline is Dec 31--but not the payable dates deadline, that's the end of May.

=So, anyone whose benefits expire after December 25th (because adding an additional week to Tier II will put you at January 2) will be out of luck until new legislation is passed.=

The messy language that you see in these news articles and agency people talking is about them objecting to the cutoff of benefits for many who will be coming after the current long term unemployed, a group even larger than those this bill was intended to help. (Either that or in some cases it sounds like they just haven't read the bill!)

I stand by my "orange chart" that I posted above. But I did send it out directly to a contact at NELP to ask if they would confirm my plain language "workflow" for EUC.

=Thanx. That was my next step too.=

By that, bittybear, your two people will be fine. If I'm wrong AND if I get the job that I just had a third interview for, I'll buy both you and Gonzo (previously promised) a beer! But if I'm wrong, and I also don't get the job, I myself will be up the creek on Dec 31, but I don't think that will be the case.

=Geez, I hope you're right, but there's always been something about the language used, even by the director of NELP in an interview that's been just not right. And then there's that pesky extra week added to Tier II (why?) that it took to get it through the senate. I hate politicians.

Bittybear

bittybear Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:11 am

tj21121008 wrote:what is that suposed to mean???????

It's means that unless you have run out of your Tier II Emergency Benefits (which you have done if you're currently on or have already exhausted your Extended Benefits) BEFORE December 25th, you won't qualify for anything but an extra week on your Tier II. Unless they change the last augmentation date (last date any amounts will be credited to your account, not the last date payable, which is June 2010).

I think my husband would qualify as "long term unemployed", since he's been laid off since November of last year, but apparently that's not long enough to be included.

Bittybear

**nancym** Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:49 am

bittybear--

The problem with your reference to that "no augmentation" quote is that it is not the wording of the law, but rather a quote from the DOL directive that goes out to state agencies regarding the most recent legislation. That new directive has not come out yet for this most recent bill, and I'm sure that is what AWI is waiting for in order to be able to answer a lot of questions more precisely.

The law itself, both the ARRA revision and the new bill, refer to both deadlines for filing and deadlines for payouts, but the actual wording of this latest bill overrides the quote about augmentation before Dec 31. That quote is merely an interpretation of the previous law, so it can't be taken literally as if it were part of the new law itself.

I have a call into DOL and also to Senator Nelson's office to get verification of what I am saying; I'll post here if and when I get a response.

Tampa Bay - Anna Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:44 am

Thanks Nancy! Really appreciate your interpretations of these confusing issues Smile

**nancym** Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:59 pm

BREAKING NEWS from NELP:

http://nelp.3cdn.net/9636998c6a1ade2dea_fnm6iiwvg.pdf

New FAQ from them that answers a lot of questions.

It appears that the truth to some of these circulating stories is "somewhere in between," though they say they their posting is an interpretation that "We will update as new guidance is available or new questions come to our attention."

I'm still studying their FAQ, posted just today, but the quick answer for anyone fearing that all benefits will be cut off on December 31 is that is not true. Whatever Tier you qualify for by that time you can collect on into 2010. This contradicts their previous press release, so I wonder if they will need to revise either one or the other. I put a call into their office, not sure when I might get a response with most likely thousands calling in also!

So if we assume that their current FAQ is the final word:

Then current exhaustees of all benefits who are waiting for the new Tier 3 for 14 weeks will get the 14 weeks.

[Some feared that the addition of the extra week on Tier 2 would screw up people's claims, but the states have the option to allow payment of all of Tier 3 prior to that "extra week" that was tacked onto Tier 2. That's written into the law to avoid any potential delays as far as qualifying for the next Tier. One state already has their accounts reflecting that first 13 weeks.]

The part that I appear to be wrong about, according to NELP as they now see it, is that any Tiers beyond the one that an individual qualifies for at the end of December would need new legislation to extend those qualifying deadlines. I.e., we can all collect on the last available Tier we have into 2010, but the new Tier 4, which we wouldn't get until the end of February anyway, would require a piece of legislation to authorize eligibility for that extra 6 weeks.

As for other questions about people overlapping the December cutoff date, it appears that the same thing applies. E.g., let's say you run out of regular benefits just before Dec 31 and that qualifies you for Tier 1. Tier 1 is 20 weeks, so you could collect into May, almost at the cutoff date for payable amounts anyway.

But let's say you are coming up on the end of your Tier 1 and it goes just over into January, according to what I understand from NELP's new FAQ, you might be SOL on that date in January. Bittybear, I believe that applies to your husband and that one other person. (And yes, it's totally outrageous.)

Judy, in your relative's case, his Tier would continue, but other Tiers would not, leaving him with 14 weeks of Tier 2 that would take him into about mid-April, when I would hope Congress would have extended those dates by then. But his benefits would not go into May under current law, as I previously posted.

I still don't see how the wording of the bill that declares "or at any time thereafter" in regard to an addition to an EUC account doesn't trump the other language in a previous bill version; the new HR 3548 after all was an amendment to that bill. But I'm not going to stand up in court and argue with a NELP attorney, even when their two statements contradict each other, lol!

CURRENT STATUS pending further info:

--If you exhausted Tier 2 or will do that before Dec 31, you will get 14 weeks. The extra 6 weeks, which isn't awarded until the TUR is verified at the end of that Tier anyway, will have to be affirmed in Congress before that time.

--If you are among the more recently laid off, you may only qualify for the full number of weeks of whatever Tier you are in by the end of December.

That's good news for some people and very bad news for some others, almost like a game of Russian roulette! We may all (including NELP) have to wait for DOL to make a "ruling" if the legislative language is in so much conflict. That directive goes to AWI, so until they get it, even they won't be able to answer these questions.

bittybear Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:17 pm

nancym wrote:bittybear--

The problem with your reference to that "no augmentation" quote is that it is not the wording of the law, but rather a quote from the DOL directive that goes out to state agencies regarding the most recent legislation. That new directive has not come out yet for this most recent bill, and I'm sure that is what AWI is waiting for in order to be able to answer a lot of questions more precisely.

= Nope, it's from the original act that established the whole emergency benefits program way back in 2008. Emergency benefits are a temporary program that must be enacted and authorized when national unemployment levels become such that politicians worry about getting re-elected. =

The law itself, both the ARRA revision and the new bill, refer to both deadlines for filing and deadlines

= There it is... =

for payouts, but the actual wording of this latest bill overrides the quote about augmentation before Dec 31.

= Nope. Check here:

http://nelp.3cdn.net/92cd8ffd04881b449a_w4m6iiwvg.pdf

And here:

http://www.nelp.org/page/-/unemployedworkers/McDermott%20Will%20Push%20For%20UI%20Extension%20Through%202010.pdf

=

That quote is merely an interpretation of the previous law, so it can't be taken literally as if it were part of the new law itself.

= True, but it still affects it, as it is the authorization for the whole ball of wax in the first place. =

I have a call into DOL and also to Senator Nelson's office to get verification of what I am saying; I'll post here if and when I get a response.

I'm just in shock over the fact that they modified the original bill as passed by the house this much in order to "compromise" and get it through the senate! And that extra week pushing some past the deadline is just dead wrong. I understand you have to have a deadline or cutoff somewhere, but next month is hardly fair. This was all just so nobody would run out of benefits before the holiday season. It will help those in states where they never got to qualify for Tier II at all (as the threshold amount has been removed for Tier II). But the fact remains that only those people who run out of whatever Tier they're on before December 31 (or December 25 if you were on Tier II and switched to EB) will qualify for another Tier, and only one more Tier unless you run through Tier III before December 31. NO AMOUNTS WILL BE ADDED TO YOUR ACCOUNT AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2009, because the entire emergency benefits program is set to "sunset" or phase-out. What a Face

Bittybear

sc4ram Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:27 pm

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/careers/sfl-ask-career,0,6220477.story

bittybear Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:36 pm

So, here it is:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d111:26:./temp/~bdVJGt:@@@D&summ2=m&|/bss/|

Introduced by McDermott just prior to the AUGUST recess...

Geez, it's been sitting around that long. At least it says the bill has 36 co-sponsors.

I'm wondering if they break this into smaller and smaller parts because they have to figure out how to pay for it?
Or is it so that they all can claim credit for extending the UEC program when it's time for re-election?

Question

Bittybear

frustratedinfl Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:54 pm

Okay I am so confused... my Tier II runs out December 7th... so I should be okay to collect the Tier III before the dealine.

bittybear Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:59 pm

I got my callback from AWI rep. Yes, they will have to change the dates in order for my husband to qualify, since his last (currently, without the extra week) week to claim is after the December deadline...

Remember I said that the extra week was tacked onto Tier II for a reason that I hadn't figured out yet? (I think it was in the legislative thread).

States have the option of paying out EB or EUC first, and this has always been the case. Most states would elect to suspend EB and immediately pay out EUC, because EUC is 100% federally funded, and EB is NORMALLY 50/50 federal/state funded.

But as nancym pointed out, the ARRA temporarily funded the EB program 100% if states adopted certain changes, which Florida did when they went from using IUR to TUR. So, the state may elect to continue with the EB program, if you haven't exhausted all of that first, and then switch to the EUC, which may cut more folks off from receiving an additional tier.

Nanym, was the December cutoff for the EB program for qualifying or for payments to end?

Bittybear

bittybear Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:02 pm

frustratedinfl wrote:Okay I am so confused... my Tier II runs out December 7th... so I should be okay to collect the Tier III before the dealine.

You're good to go! You'll get an extra week of Tier II which will put you at December 12. (I believe you meant your last week to claim is week ending December 6, because it always ends on a Saturday). And you never even collected EB, right?

Bittybear

frustratedinfl Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:25 pm

Thank you! Yes, I meant December 6th. And no I never did claim EB. I'm relieved to hear that I will get Tier III!

**nancym** Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:30 am

I didn't have a chance to post this yesterday, but I did get through to a NELP attorney. I pointed out the discrepancy between their recent FAQ (link posted above) and their previous press release in regard to the extra six weeks under current law. They promised to take a look at that, but also sent me an email that I'll post below. (Some of you may have received this; if it's posted elsewhere, the more the better.)

We knew that NELP has been working for months on not only the current bill but also HR 3404 and S 1647, but the spotlight went off those when McDermott figured it would take forever to get those through Congress with the pricetag on them, so he offered our current "emergency" bill first. Now NELP is focusing on those that were left out in that bill (and for some the manner in which they are left out seems almost capricious in the way the calendar determines cutoffs).

So NELP is asking for those most affected by the deficiencies in the current law which leave many more recently unemployed out in the cold as early as the first of January. Below is the contents of the email; anyone affected, please contact them in response in order for them to show Congress how urgent it is to fill in the gaps of the current unemployment laws.

Please note that all those who have already qualified by exhausting Tier 2 at any time before the end of December will NOT be cut off on Jan 1, but will get the full benefit of Tier 3 for 14 weeks, and when that is finished, assuming Florida still is at 8.5 or above, we hope that Congress will have acted by that time to confirm the additional 6 weeks promised in HR 3548.According to NELP's latest FAQ sheet, whichever Tier you qualify for (start) before Jan 1you will be able to finish out that Tier into 2010.

------------------------NELP email--------------------
[On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 12:52 PM, National Employment Law Project Testimony <unemployedworkers.org@gmail.com> wrote:]

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides extended unemployment benefits to workers exhausting their unemployment benefits through December 31, 2009.

Although there is nothing in the current unemployment extension legislation that addresses the issue of those individuals that exhaust their benefits on or after January 1, 2010, media reports indicate Congressional leaders and the President have made public statements endorsing the continuation of key aspects of ARRA, including extensions. (See Obama Aides Act to Fix Safety Net http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/us/politics/06jobless.html?scp=1&sq=jackie%20calmes%20unemployment&st=cse). In order to get legislation enacting further extensions in 2010 passed, we have to fight for it and get stories like yours out to the media.

We are always looking for people to speak out and tell their stories either by volunteering for press conferences or by speaking out on our website. If you are interested please respond to the following questions below and you can be added to NELP’s Media Bank. Please use the Worker Forum sign-up form found here: http://www.unemployedworkers.org/page/s/uistories

1. Where do you live?
2. What is your age?
3. Do you have any children?
4. What job did you previously hold?
5. When did you become unemployed?
6. What type of benefits (regular state or one of the extensions) are you currently receiving?
7. When are your benefits going to run out?
8. Are you single or married? If married, is your spouse employed?
9. In your own words tell us about your situation
--
Disclaimer
No legal advice is being given and no attorney-client relationship is created by the use of this information. An attorney should be consulted for more detailed information in individual cases. The National Employment Law Project (NELP) shall not be liable for the information provided herein, or for the results obtained from the use of such information.

**Unemployed In Orlando** Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:55 am

Great post Nancy, thank you. I also encourage everyone affected to contact NELP at the link above.

**nancym** Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:48 am

bittybear wrote:
Nanym, was the December cutoff for the EB program for qualifying or for payments to end?

Bittybear

I looked this up earlier. Florida made sure it gave EB only during the time it was 100% federally funded:

Section 5. The provisions of s. 443.1117, Florida Statutes, as created by this act, apply only to claims for weeks of unemployment, in which an exhaustee establishes entitlement to extended benefits pursuant to that section, established for the period between February 22, 2009, and January 2, 2010.

http://www.flsenate.gov/cgi-bin/view_page.pl?Tab=session&Submenu=1&FT=D&File=sb0810er.html&Directory=session/2009/Senate/bills/billtext/html/

I believe EB is dead after Jan 2 for Florida. While states do have the option to continue it, I doubt they will touch this without an extension of the funding from Congress. Normally I would just say the Republicans are too cheap, but they have good reason not to fund this program further when the unemployment trust fund is already teetering on depletion and no near end is in sight to so many ongoing claims. There were some rumblings I heard about reviving the effort to take that extra $450 million that they refused last time, but I'm not sure if that deadline for accepting it has also passed or not. My guess is they'll just wait for Congress to straighten out the EUC thing so they don't have to deal with it.

As for those on EB now, I think AWI could be a little creative here in this interim if they wanted to be, and cut people off just before Dec 31 instead of Jan 2, thereby allowing them to claim Tier 3! But I wouldn't venture to guess if that will actually happen, think we'll just have to wait to see what the DOL says and how AWI responds to individual cases.

I used the word "capricious" in an earlier post about these cutoff dates, but in reality the whole program is capricious. None of it is "fair"--many were cut off way back in July and have had to live with no benefits all this time. Some in other states never even got Tier 2, while other states got it all, but have had to endure double-digit unemployment rates for more than a year.

Tampa Bay - Anna Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:21 am

Nancy, I just want to personally thank you for all your posts and the work/ research that goes into them. You are simply phenomenal sunny

Judy Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:07 pm

First of all I want to thank Nancy and all the others that have been so kind as to keep us as updated as possible. The following "tirade" is not directed at ANYONE on this forum.

I have been keeping up with this for several weeks now and reading every post (even if I don't completely understand them at first ), but with these last few, I have been getting angrier and angrier with our Congress. It appears that they have put on this horse and pony show since Sept for what amounts to little or nothing in regards to help. It is absolutely absurd!!!!! If I am reading this all correctly, almost NO ONE will get the extra 6 weeks that was just passed except maybe those who qualified for a very short period of original unemployment and can exhaust Tier III by 12/27. What would that be, like 7 weeks? Personally, since I qualify for a whopping 8.3 weeks, I won't. And the talk about qualifying for Tier 4 on a three month average when there isn't even enough time left to collect it makes me feel like the whole Congress must be on drugs or something.

When Nancy said that the Tiers were like dominoes, that made complete sense (no negative directed at Nancy since it seems now that that was incorrect). But this new info is complete BS and pointless.
Since just about everything you read on the projections of unemployment/new jobs says the unemployment will only go higher before new jobs start up, it all seems so senseless. Evil or Very Mad

bittybear Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:42 pm

<

Judy wrote:First of all I want to thank Nancy and all the others that have been so kind as to keep us as updated as possible. The following "tirade" is not directed at ANYONE on this forum.

I have been keeping up with this for several weeks now and reading every post (even if I don't completely understand them at first ), but with these last few, I have been getting angrier and angrier with our Congress. It appears that they have put on this horse and pony show since Sept for what amounts to little or nothing in regards to help. It is absolutely absurd!!!!!>

= That's what originally sent up a red flag for me. It was quote form the director of NELP in the New York Times stating that this was simply a "stop-gap" measure. That set me to research, and then I found this forum! At first, I told my husband that all was well and good, even though all of the press articles had some statement that didn't sound exactly right. And, of course, that pesky "extra week", with the option to the states of paying it before or after EB... =

< If I am reading this all correctly, almost NO ONE will get the extra 6 weeks that was just passed except maybe those who qualified for a very short period of original unemployment and can exhaust Tier III by 12/27. What would that be, like 7 weeks? Personally, since I qualify for a whopping 8.3 weeks, I won't. And the talk about qualifying for Tier 4 on a three month average when there isn't even enough time left to collect it makes me feel like the whole Congress must be on drugs or something.>

= Part of this is because it took so long to get even this small portion through. The original legislation that's gotten hung up was first introduced in AUGUST! =

<When Nancy said that the Tiers were like dominoes, that made complete sense (no negative directed at Nancy since it seems now that that was incorrect). But this new info is complete BS and pointless.
Since just about everything you read on the projections of unemployment/new jobs says the unemployment will only go higher before new jobs start up, it all seems so senseless.

>

= Once you understand that the numbero uno goal of any politician is to remain in power, it all makes sense, though. There's several things at play here:

They have to pay for it.

They all want to be able to say they helped the unemployed when it's campaign time.

They all want to be able to say that they helped businesses get back on track when it's campaign time.

The whole issue of adding more benefits is a political tinderbox for Democrats. The argument is that if they need to pass another stimulus pakage, their first one didn't help create or save more jobs.

Bittybear

bittybear Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:37 pm

[quote="nancym")
< I looked this up earlier. Florida made sure it gave EB only during the time it was 100% federally funded:

Section 5. The provisions of s. 443.1117, Florida Statutes, as created by this act, apply only to claims for weeks of unemployment, in which an exhaustee establishes entitlement to extended benefits pursuant to that section, established for the period between February 22, 2009, and January 2, 2010.

http://www.flsenate.gov/cgi-bin/view_page.pl?Tab=session&Submenu=1&FT=D&File=sb0810er.html&Directory=session/2009/Senate/bills/billtext/html/

I believe EB is dead after Jan 2 for Florida . >

= Yeah, I do remember that the whole thing was really short-lived, and only for the amount of time that they could get it paid for by the feds... =

< While states do have the option to continue it, I doubt they will touch this without an extension of the funding from Congress. >

= Is it really optional? I thought the whole process of "modernization" was to get changes to the unemployment program that would inlcude more people. They had to lower the threshold indicator used in order to trigger "on" on EB. (Remember the "trigger" for exteded benefits and emergency benefits are two different things). And EB is a permanent program, whereas EUC is a temporary one.

http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp

And if the triggger rate is lower, they'll have to renew it (?) Could this possibly be a state / federal battle over funding? =

< Normally I would just say the Republicans are too cheap, but they have good reason not to fund this program further when the unemployment trust fund is already teetering on depletion and no near end is in sight to so many ongoing claims. >

= The feds will gladly loan them the money. This is already built in to the program. =

< There were some rumblings I heard about reviving the effort to take that extra $450 million that they refused last time, but I'm not sure if that deadline for accepting it has also passed or not. My guess is they'll just wait for Congress to straighten out the EUC thing so they don't have to deal with it. >

= Yeah, I certainly wouldn't expect anything from them unless they are forced into action. =

< As for those on EB now, I think AWI could be a little creative here in this interim if they wanted to be, and cut people off just before Dec 31 instead of Jan 2, thereby allowing them to claim Tier 3! But I wouldn't venture to guess if that will actually happen, think we'll just have to wait to see what the DOL says and how AWI responds to individual cases. >

= That's the reason it is written as it is. =

< I used the word "capricious" in an earlier post about these cutoff dates, but in reality the whole program is capricious. None of it is "fair"--many were cut off way back in July and have had to live with no benefits all this time. Some in other states never even got Tier 2, while other states got it all, but have had to endure double-digit unemployment rates for more than a year.[/quote]>

Was the change to the indicator to trigger "on" temporary also, or was that a permanent change to the state's unemployment laws?

Bittybear

connorsgp Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:11 pm

What is the real possibility of the extension thru Dec 2010? Is there any pending legislation that addresses the EUC matter. I'm about half way through Tier 1 and my last week is mid Feb 2010 and already becoming nervous about it

bittybear Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:41 pm

connorsgp wrote:What is the real possibility of the extension thru Dec 2010? Is there any pending legislation that addresses the EUC matter. I'm about half way through Tier 1 and my last week is mid Feb 2010 and already becoming nervous about it

The original bills introduced in August had this provision in them (H.R. 3404 and S. 1647). They couldn't get them through, so as a "compromise", they pushed through H.R. 3548, simply because people were running out of benefits by the thousands, and right before the holidays. (Actually, I think the senate came up with the new version, and this is the companion house bill for conformity). The major battle remains.

They certainly want to get re-elected, so the timing is the most important thing. Will you lose your house and car before they finally do something? That's an individual thing. And don't for a minute think they care - it's all about them.

Bittybear

connorsgp Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:11 pm

If the extension till Dec 2010 doesn't get done before May I'd be done without a job, or the EUC lifeline. I've already watched my meagar 401k disappear not many employers looking for middle aged men who they see as expensive--even in good economic times. I have confidence in NELP helping get this done in a timely manner, like by the Christmas recess.

**GonzoFL** Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:20 pm

Not my favorite source of info and the reliability is iffy....but,it seems congress may be preparing to address the issue.

http://washingtonindependent.com/67450/heres-the-vehicle-for-the-next-jobless-benefits-extension

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General EUC Discussion - Ongoing