Vote on Unemployment Coming! Call Your Senators Now!

[Dulcinea]

Holding unemployment benefits hostage to promote tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, conservatives in Congress blocked a Senate measure to reauthorize for a full year the federal unemployment insurance programs. This obstruction came just hours before the Nov. 30 expiration of those programs' authorization. As a result, 800,000 unemployed workers will be cut-off of extended benefits next week. Another 1.2 million will lose benefits during the remainder of the month. The month of December, mind you -- the holiday season.

Millions more face being denied further benefits prematurely in the weeks and months after New Year's. In fact, a report released just yesterday by the Council of Economic Advisors shows that nearly 7 million unemployed job-seekers will be denied access to federal benefits by the end of 2011 -- unless Congress acts to renew the programs for a full year. That report also warned that the U.S. economy would lose another 600,000 jobs if the unemployment programs are not renewed through 2011.

And, as today's grim jobs report for November showed, the need to renew those benefit programs is even more urgent now that the unemployment rate has risen to 9.8 percent. Why would anyone want to block the reauthorization of unemployment benefits? Here's the astonishing answer, pure and simple: conservatives in Congress insist on blocking unemployment benefits and, instead, give extended tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. They're acting like 'Robin Hood' in reverse: steal from the poor, give to the rich.

You can help put a stop to this blatant hypocrisy. There is a vote scheduled for tomorrow -- Saturday, December 4 -- in the U.S. Senate. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) will bring up for a vote both a full-year renewal of federal unemployment benefit programs and an extension of tax relief only for low- and middle-income earners. Call your Senators toll-free at 1-888-340-6522. Please call right now! Tell your Senators to support a full-year, emergency renewal of the federal unemployment insurance programs, with no harmful budget cuts. And to extend tax cuts only for everyone making less than 250,000 dollars a year.

www.unemployedworkers.org

[CurtEastPoint]

1. I called both GA hairbrain Senators [R] n/t

[RockaFowler]

2. Trying to get through

Praying that this works

My family could use it

[patrice]

3. Done & Sharing now. nt

[otohara]

4. Udall No on Bush TC's - Bennet Waffling

about - one year, two years....so many millionaire friends to thank for all that money they donated.

[blue neen]

5. Called Senator Casey today.

I also urged him to stand firm on the middle class tax cuts.

:dem:

[Clio the Leo]

6. kick nt

[Hello_Kitty]

7. I called McCain's and Kyl's offices earlier. It was pissing in the wind but I did it. eom

[Dulcinea]

8. kick for the jobless. eom