Finally!!

After three long months of raising our voices, making calls, sending emails, and sharing our experiences with leaders, the U.S.  Senate has reached a bipartisan deal to extend federal unemployment insurance benefits.

This deal—if passed— will restore jobless aid to the more than 2 million long-term unemployed people who have been cut off from benefits since December 28th.  People like Brandi, a mom from Ohio who wrote us about her struggles:

"I am a 35 year-old single mother raising four children. I was laid off through no fault of my own from a company that I had worked for for many years. I have rent, electric, phone, and many other bills to pay. Without my unemployed check every week I can’t even buy groceries. My children depend on me to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. I know I’m not alone when I say that my family will lose everything if I can’t find a job or continue to get unemployment benefits."

But this deal isn’t passed yet. Now we need some super powerful mom voices to push this important bill through the U.S. Senate for moms like Brandi. The unemployment insurance bill is expected to be voted on in the next few days. The more of us who write to our leaders, the faster this policy will (finally) pass!

Source: http://labor.hawaii.gov/

*I’m reaching out to my U.S. Senators right now. Will you join me? Tell your Senators: “Stop leaving the unemployed out in the cold. Extend unemployment insurance benefits!” http://action.momsrising.org/sign/ExtendUI/

Unemployment insurance allows struggling families, like Brandi’s, to pay the rent, purchase food and medicine, and pay the heating bills during what has been a historically cold winter. This program not only boosts families, it also boosts our economy because studies show that these unemployment insurance funds are quickly spent in our communities at local stores, for local services, in a positive domino effect throughout our consumer-fueled economy.

In fact, unemployment insurance is such a powerful stimulant for the economy that the Congressional Budget Office consistently ranks unemployment insurance as one of the top most effective policies for generating economic growth in a downturned economy.  The consequences of NOT extending unemployment benefits is damaging to our economy: each week that unemployment benefits are cut state economies lose $400 million. 

Help us stand up for struggling families today and tell your Senators to extend unemployment insurance benefits ASAP! http://action.momsrising.org/sign/ExtendUI/

We need to make sure that the voices of moms and dads echo through the halls of Congress, so after taking action please make sure to  post the action link to your Facebook and Twitter page.

Thank you for standing with us on this important issue, standing up for struggling families, and standing up for the economic health of our nation!