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Bill H3548 – 13 Weeks Unemployment Benefit Extension For High Unemployment States

The past year has been a bad one for the American worker.  Because of the 2008 financial crisis and ensuing recession – millions of Americans have lost their jobs.  The current national unemployment rate is 9.7% as of Sept 4.  While many workers will find new jobs within the time period of existing employment benefits – many more will run out of benefits before finding a new job.

On September 22, the House passed legislation called Bill H3548 which will allow any states with a total unemployment rate (TUR) of 8.5% or higher to be eligible for federal funding which will allow 13 more weeks of extended unemployment benefits for those people who have exhausted all the current benefits.

This move was made as part of the ongoing 2009 stimulus package which is designed to help the economy recover as quickly as possible and for long term unemployed people to be able to keep paying the bills while they look for work.

Which states are eligible for these benefits?

The eligible states are:

ALABAMA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW YORK, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, WASHINGTON, AND WEST VIRGINIA. PLUS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND PUERTO RICO.

When can I get these extra benefits?

At the moment this bill has not become law (as of Sept 24).  The senate still has to approve the bill and it is unclear how long it will take.  It is anticipated that the bill will pass Senate but it might take a while.

Keep in mind that the previous extension (Extended Benefits) required state law changes since EB is a joint federal and state program. EB required a change in federal law and then required state laws to be amended.  The legislation that recently passed the House (H3548) is an extension of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC). This does not require state law changes so it won’t require the state legislature to change state law.  This means that it should take less time to get this extension than the previous one.

How much unemployment benefits are available now?

Most states have a basic amount of 26 weeks (6 months) of employment benefits plus any extra weeks available because of various unemployment rate triggers.  These are funded by the states and/or the federal government.

271 replies on “Bill H3548 – 13 Weeks Unemployment Benefit Extension For High Unemployment States”

Everyone here is the PRE-PRINTED forms that nelp.org has prepared and will email to your Senators automatically, they just need your zip-code. We have to let our Senators know that S1699 is for addl 13 wks for 400.000 unemployed that are exhausting their benefits as of the end of this month. We have to get involved because the Senators seem to be suffering from heathcare reform itist, and it appears they have put this bill on the back burner hopefully the media WILL get a hold of the ball and run with it. The Senators know what they are doing and quietly want to exit out for the October break w/o touching the bill. Keep calling your Senators AND the news media! Here is the link for the PRE-PRINTED forms: http://www.nelp.org/page/speakout/fedbensnow ITS CALLED EMERGENCY EXTENSION FOR A REASON! LOL.

I just lifted this info off another helpful site:

In addition to calling and emailing and using NELP’s form. Try FAXING Harry Reid/your legislators!! http://www.faxzero.com allows you 2 free faxes per day/email address.

Find their fax numbers at http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/us_senate_fax.html?q=us_senate_fax.html
—
Example, I just faxed HR.

Harry Reid’ fax number is Fax: 202-224-7327

Copy and paste NELP’s email letter or use your own.

RE: UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION
ATTN: Senator Harry Reid/US SENATE
I am writing to urge you to take swift action to avert economic catastrophe for millions of families and communities across the country. By the end of the year, 1.3 million Americans will reach the end of federal extended unemployment benefits provided by the Recovery Act. I urge you to enact legislation to provide emergency unemployment compensation to these families-moving quickly to aid over 400,000 of these workers will exhaust assistance by the end of September.

This is the wrong economy to pull the plug on extended jobless benefits. The unemployment rate has climbed to 9.7%–the highest rate in 26 years … An all-time record 5 million unemployed workers have been out of work for six months or more. Most of those depending on jobless extensions have worked all of their lives, and are desperate to return to work. But, there is an excruciating slim supply of jobs for the 14.9 million plus jobless Americans. There are now 6 unemployed workers for every 1 job opening nationally.

Sincerely,
—
Thanks!!

Kathy/Florida: Thanks for the link, I just faxed a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid. Saving my last one for later, lol.

Was informed by a helpful person at the Florida blog that Congress takes a break in session on October 9th. Heads up,everyone!

I finally got a hold of Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell’s office. They informed me that there is nothing going on with HR3548 but they did received it 3 days ago, which we all knew that. Now Jim Bunnings office told me that it could be in the committee but really didn’t know. They transferred me to a Erin Murray, don’t really know why. I left a message so when she calls back I will find out.
So I’m guessing that its going to be a long while before we get to request any checks, and its been a month for me since I got one.

Oooooh….Beth. McConnell and Bunning, names I remember well from living in Ky for 38 years. McConnell will vote nay and Bunning probably will, too, if he doesn’t chicken out like he did with the Matthew Shepard Act and not vote at all. My sympathies… Ky didn’t “Ditch Mitch” when they had the chance to a long time ago in a more idealistic place far away.

New Post: Yes, I’m posting on the new forum too. Someone posted http://www.faxzero.com it allows you 2 FREE faxes to send anywhere. I used 000 000-0000 as my fax# and the company name was “VOTER” I sent a fax to Harry Reid company name-Majority Leader, regarding the delay of S.1699. From what I have read, Sen. Baucus wants to make changes to include ALL states for the 13 wks addl benefits and his last comments were that it will be “shortly” and that was after the Senate hearing last week. Sen. Chuck Schumer was asked when the bill will be voted on and he couldn’t give a answer as to when, AND that was yesterday. The Labor Organizations are jumping in as well because of the sheer # of people exhausting their benefits, SO we have to keep emailing the news media and our Senators including Reid & Baucus. Also that free 2 faxes is a good idea too. Emailing President Obama, his staff received thousands of emails a day so I don’t know if they even read all of them if its not pertaining to healthcare reform. Direct attack is the Senate & Media, don’t you think???. 2nd week in October both Houses break. I believe last year they passed an extension in November after they returned and then it took to states 2-3 wks to set up, these benefits didn’t start until 2nd week of December. This time its 3x as bad and we can’t allow the Senate to do the same thing, I was working a Temp job at the time but I remember the underhanded way the Senate did it.

Great post Sherri and I might add faxzero.com allows 2 free faxes per day so be sure to use that site again tommorrow!!

Yes I think we will with X-mas on the way, but I am afraid if we don’t push now it will be just like Sherri says and December will be when we see a check. That’s a long time from the first week of September when many a person’s benefits ran out.

Cant wait anylonger my pile of bills are just getting bigger and bigger
need to feed my kids and my husband needs gas to go to work.
What do we do???????? Cant imagine people in situations like this one.
Senate do something people just cant hang in there anymore

Thomas.loc.gov

It’s just like opencongress govetrack. etc. It just tracks bills. whenever in doubt, I always just go to google and enter in a few specific words and find what i need.

Important Notes: FaxZero.Com
———————————

1) Please provide a VALID return e-mail address.

2) You MUST enable your brower’s “cookies,” in order to utilize their free fax service!

3) After you’ve submitted the fax, FaxZero will immediately send you a follow-up email (to the address you provided), for you to CONFIRM…

4) You MUST click on the link that’s contained within that follow-up email, to confirm…

5) Then and only then will FaxZero actually send your free Fax!!

6) If you do NOT confirm…… your fax will NOT get sent!

http://www.faxzero.com seems to be the popular thing to do today but you only get 2 FREE faxes per day. I’ve used mine by faxing a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid & Sen.Baucus. The thing to do and continue doing is calling, emailing, faxing, to the Reid and Baucus PLUS email the news media who ran with the story 2wks ago, thats why the bill flew out of committee and on the floor for a vote because of the media and the tons of calls those House Reps were getting. With the bad blood between the 2 parties about this healthcare reform, and the constant meeting with the same Senate Finance Committee that Sen.Baucus chairs, when are they going to find time for this EMERGENCY jobless benefits bill S.1699???. 2-3hrs before the Senate offices closes so lets keep calling & emailing folks!.

Ed2. The instructions are clear and not difficult at all, whats your point of posting them? Its fast Its easy & its FREE!.

OK… I suggested the fax thingy because I keep getting that the Senators from Florida’s mailboxes are full. So I sent those two dudes the faxes and have been happily e-mailing other states’ senators throughout the day.

Kathy/Florida. I think the http://www.faxzero.com with the 2 FREE faxes a day is great and will be viewed more quickly than emails or NOT,lol. I’m sending 2 per day to both Reid & Baucus because I’m unsure who’s running the show in the Senate but I am sure disappointed from what I seen so far.

I sent this–hope it helps:

From: Thomas Donoho
To: Daniel Lipinski (D), Richard Durbin (D), Roland Burris (D)

Unemployment benefits extension…

Please do what you can do get the senate to vote on this measure now–there are too many out of work through no fault of their own–they deserve attention to their immediate needs the same as is being given to the health care matter and issues concerning banks getting more aid, etc.–there is no reason to delay this in the senate–don’t let the regular folks down!

Thank you and God bless,

Rev. Tom Donoho

It appears as if the senators for Illinois are taking no more emails–it is perfectly acceptable to ask your house representative to ask the senators to get going on this bill–even remind them that the house processed it in a timely way to get the extension approved for the regular folks in need!

Sherri,

1) What’s Senator Baucus’ fax #? Did I miss it?
—————————————————–

2) I posted the instructions because I want to make doubly-sure that NOBODY gets frustrated and gives up (when trying to use FaxZero.Com) should they get repeated error messages…

3) Which is EXACTLY what WILL happen if they don’t enable their “cookies!”

4) I finished out the rest of the instructions, for the same reason– to make people AWARE of the potential errors to avoid.

5) We need EVERYBODY to flood those Senators’ fax machines!

Question:

I exhausted my extension benefits last week–although they sent me another form to document my diligent job search and gave me another call in date. Should I complete and send in the form and call in? Would I qualify for the extension if it goes through–I exhausted last week and my “benefit year” ends 11/29/09?

Thanks for any assistance you can give.

Tom

Tony, Yes you do whatever any IDES letter tells you to do or call them for clarification. Yes continue filling out & mailing your job search forms while keeping cc copies.

Thanks, Sherri.

Do you think I would qualify for the new extension if it goes through?

This is so bad–I have never been out of work this long–and it’s not being lazy as some would think (if they only knew the truth)–I have put out so many resumes I can no longer count–I have gone to interviews and even followed up on those–I have professional credentials, excellent references and have even reworked my resume with a professional in the field–I have added new education/training. What else can we do?

Tony Donoho. You can email both IL Senators, I just emailed Sen.Durbin again & Sen. Burris is not very organized so I have avoided sending him anything anymore after getting some strange responds unrelated to my emails.

Tom: In our state if you have been calling in you do need to send in documentation for the weeks you claimed unless you have already done so or claimed and documented online. And yes you should qualify for the new benefits. It wouldn’t hurt to check in with them if they gave you another call date.

Sherri: Reid and Baush(sp?) were the first two I e-mailed today. So we can add Illinois to the list of full mailboxes, too. I wish I could mail myself for a full body protest, lol.

Tony. If you are referring to the extended benefits program at 79 wks right now, yes you would qualify if the bill passes.

TOm, I am sending and filling and mailing, for one exeption, they never gave me a new call date. After my benefits expire.
I call anyway, but Teleserve do not give you opportunity to do it.
It is just telling you that benefits is -0- and you cannot report.
So I just stick to faxing search report.
You can print copy for the repost form from.

Thanks to all for the replies. I will keep doing what the letters say to do.

This is a good venue–who would help inform you, not the staff at IDES.

Thanks to you all for your caring and efforts to inform.

Tom

I will try emailing the senators again–but, yes, Burris seems disorganized, but he hasn’t been in office as long as Durbin.

Senate Mulls Jobless Benefit Extension For All States-Source

By Corey Boles, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Senate lawmakers are working on a proposal to extend unemployment insurance benefits to all unemployed?people, according to a senior aide to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.

The aide said that it was unclear when a decision would be made to bring an emergency extension of assistance for unemployed Americans, nor for how many weeks the measure would extend benefits.

House lawmakers this week approved a measure extending benefits for people living in states with average unemployment rates of 8.5% over three months. This would benefit people living in 25 states, according to House Democratic aides. The House bill provides an additional 13 weeks to long-term unemployed people living in the hardest hit states, bringing the total federal assistance to those people to 46 weeks.

If the Senate takes up the more generous extension, lawmakers of both chambers would have to reach agreement about the final wording of any legislation.

Any move by the Senate finance panel to move benefits extension legislation would likely have to wait until after the committee concludes consideration of health-care?legislation. Lawmakers are in their second day of debate on the sweeping legislation.

-By Corey Boles, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6601; [email protected]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
09-23-091810ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Is it possible if senate add all the rest of the states to the BILL, that then Bill will go back to the Congress?

Thanks Samantha.
On top of it, bill will stay untill committee concludes consideration of health-care?legislation.

OMG!

If this unemployment Bill gets stuck behind this hotly-contested and tremendously complicated Health-Care “political football,” then God help us all….. This so-called “Emergency Unemployment Compensation” extension will then NEVER see the light of day, before November 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Geez! Which part of the word “Emergency” do these Senators not understand!!!!?????

Let’s all just hope and pray that these Senators don’t cut off their noses to spite their faces: Do not hold up the prompt passage of this “fast-track” 13-wks of EUC, just because they want to include ALL States… Heck, that then defeats the whole purpose of the “fast-track” HR3548, leaving these “EB-exhausting” States out in the Cold, needlessly and unnecessarily!

These Senators need to deal with the more expensive and contested “EUC for rest of the States,” AFTER they’ve passed this fast-track EUC!

These Senators KNOW the deal here. They know precisely what they’re doing, with all these (transparent) delay tactics!

I’m starting to think that these Senators are purposefully “muddying up the waters,” just so that they don’t have to deal with ANY of this unemployment mess until next year!

Wonder where email addresses to some of the White House media can be found?? Maybe someone there can start a fire for us. If anyone knows this info or where to find it let me know. I am all about filling up inboxes and fueling the fire under these Senators feet!!

Man, has the steam been taken out of my sails… I as many others will lose everything, just like last year. (Didn’t lose a place to live but by the grace of God, but had EVERYTHING turned off and had to turn the tags in on my car or lose my driver’s license for non-payment of insurance and went several days without food.) I know it is only fair for the other states but I still have been shedding tears knowing what is coming along with the humiliation of it all. Maybe knowing what is going to be like is a bit of a preparation. I will pray for us all… what else can we do?

Progs have really screwed us with this health care debacle. They kept whining for their precious govt. option, and now the rest of us are being screwed by delays on getting the unemployment benefits. You really miscalculated this time, you cheesy progs. Where is your great hero, Obama, that you guys keep talking about? He hasn’t said word one about this situation. Next time, keep your eye on the ball, for everyone’s sake. Incompetent morons.

OK FOLKS! Lets see if we can get the NEWS MEDIA attention over the weekend, if they put out how the Senate is playing games with the lives of 400k unemployed Americans by dragging their feet with S.1699 then may be the Senate will ACT next week and bring the bill to the floor. Senator Baucus shouldn’t try to change this bill because its a EMERGENCY bill for like YESTERDAY!. I don’t know if they need 2/3 majority for passage or what, But we have to get our story about this out to the American people and the best vehicle for that is the MEDIA. Local and National like CNN, ABC, NBC. C-SPAN too.

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