Baucus Comments on Unemployment Insurance

Our economy is moving in the right direction.  Unemployment is down to 8.5 percent – the lowest level in nearly two years.  However, there are still 13.1 million unemployed Americans. 

These are our neighbors and they are hard-working, willing to work and searching for work.  We know they prefer jobs to unemployment benefits.

These workers want to – and will – work again.  They pay their taxes, and their employers contributed to the pool of jobless benefits on their behalves. 

These benefits keep food on the table and families in their homes as they look for work.

Turning our backs on them now would hurt these families and harm our economic recovery.

Every one dollar in unemployment benefits can generate up to two dollars in economic growth. 

This is exactly the wrong time to do damage to our economy and leave families without the help they need to cover the bills.

So let us reach agreement and renew emergency unemployment benefits.  We need to do it for our neighbors and for our economy.

I would like to thank Senator Reed for his leadership on this issue.  He’s been fighting for these workers and he’s been fighting for our economy.  Thank you for your hard work, Jack.

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