84,600 Illinoisans to Lose Unemployment Insurance

 

 Ten Illinois House Republicans join in rejecting bipartisan compromise on middle class tax cuts, unemployment insurance

 

Springfield, IL  – In Illinois, 84,600 jobless workers and their families will be left without a lifeline if unemployment aid is allowed to expire as it’s currently slated to do January 1.

 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, including  Peter Roskam (6^th District), Joe Walsh (8^th), Robert Dold (10^th), Adam Kinzinger (11^th), Judy Biggert (13^th), Randy Hultgren (14^th), Donald Manzullo (16^th), Bobby Schilling (17^th), Aaron Schock (18^th) and John Shimkus (19^th) voted down a Senate-approved, bipartisan compromise to extend unemployment insurance and assistance to middle class families this week.

With more than 10 percent of Illinoisans still jobless, Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael T. Carrigan said House Republican partisan political games are unconscionable.

“As we dig our way out of a prolonged economic recession caused by Wall Street greed, our working families continue to pay the price,” Carrigan said. “This stance taken by the House Republicans is not only an intolerable act against workers, it lacks any economic sense by penalizing our communities.”

In Illinois, the loss to communities could total $27,378,252 a week. Nationwide, the economy grows by $2 for every dollar spent on unemployment insurance.

“The majority of our own Illinois congressional delegation has placed thousands of families in jeopardy by blocking an unemployment insurance extension. It’s heartless to do this to families this holiday season while advocating for tax cuts for millionaires. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue – this is something that is good for our nation and working people,” Carrigan said. “By refusing to support a compromise that has already passed the Senate, they are placing the demands of the few special interests over the needs of their constituents.”