ATTN ALL Unemployed: Proposed Legislation Would Allow States to Use EUC Funds for 'JOBS' - Ending Tier Benefits

House Republicans unveiled a bill on Thursday that would give state governments greater leeway in how they spend federal funds earmarked for benefits for long-term unemployed people.

The legislation, introduced by House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R., Mich.), would enable states to use the funds for other purposes including investing in job creation programs, repaying money already owed to the federal government through the program, providing tax breaks for employers, or continuing to pay jobless benefits to long-term unemployed people.

But House Democrats quickly slammed the bill because it would allow states to reduce the weeks of jobless benefits offered instead of ensuring up to 99 weeks of unemployment insurance through the end of the year. Some states have already started trimming back the 26 weeks of state-funded benefits.

“This is the opposite of a jobs bill — it is a hatchet job on the unemployment insurance program,” Rep. Sander Levin (D. Mich.), Ranking Member of the Ways & Means Committee said in a statement. “With this legislation, Republicans are proposing to end this year’s guaranteed benefit for the long-term unemployed.”

tiya wrote:RIGHT! This will create jobs and put people back to work!

It is more like starve them and take away everything they own. I hope the states that do this put aside money for homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food stamps and MASS GRAVES!

bad people!

DesperateInRI wrote:You forgot to say

aloneinpa wrote:In what universe does this make sense? Would this not violate the bill that was passed ensuring the 99 weeks? We have already seen in various states in republican controlled legislatures/governorships, bills passed shortening the weeks from 26 to 20 weeks. The same R's are allowing EB to the unemployed to expire prematurely by refusing to implement a 3 yr look back.

Here in this article by the Wall Street Journal, "Number of the Week: Millions Set to Lose Unemployment Benefits". http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/04/30/number-of-the-week-millions-set-to-lose-unemployment-benefits/

There’s always a certain number of unemployed who don’t receive benefits. They may have just entered the labor force, quit their jobs or not been eligible for some other reason. But workers didn’t quit their jobs at a higher rate over the past year, and more exited the labor force than entered. That suggests the 1.4-million-person change largely reflects people losing their benefits.

For the more than 4 million Americans still receiving extended benefits, the picture isn’t encouraging. The longer they’ve been out of work, the harder it is to find a job. They’ve typically been unemployed for at least 26 weeks, and may have been out of work for as long as 99 weeks, which for many people is the limit.

In the coming months, hundreds of thousands more will drop off the unemployment rolls. The number of people using up their regular 26 weeks of unemployment payments peaked in August 2009 at nearly 800,000 a month. That means a lot of people should be hitting their 99-week limit right about now. And unless Congress does something unexpected, more people with shorter bouts of unemployment will start joining them as the government phases out extended benefits next year.

DesperateInRI wrote:

Abbie wrote:My prediction is, if this ever passes, Governors like Kasich here in Ohio will divert the money to schemes like his Jobs Ohio plan which he appointed himself Chairman of and the money will go to his Wall Street buddies, his business cronies and in his pockets.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42232445/ns/msnbc_tv-the_ed_show/

Congressional Republicans announced legislation on Thursday that would let states cut unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless and toughen work search requirements for benefits recipients.

The Jobs, Opportunity, Benefits, and Services Act -- get it? "JOBS Act" -- would allow states to use federal funds to pay for state-level jobless benefits and to pay back federal loans to depleted state unemployment trust funds.

The bill is sponsored Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees jobless aid. "The JOBS Act is about giving States the flexibility to spend current funds better, preventing job-destroying tax hikes and helping unemployed individuals find new jobs," Camp said in a statement. "It doesn’t add to the deficit, and simply lets States use current funds more wisely."

Washington, DC – Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), along with Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Geoff Davis (R-KY) and Human Resources Subcommittee member Rick Berg (R-ND), introduced the Jobs, Opportunity, Benefits and Services (JOBS) Act of 2011 (HR 1745) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Identical legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. Like the Ways and Means Committee in the House, the Finance Committee has jurisdiction over unemployment benefit issues in the Senate.

Under current law, that money could only be spent for unemployment benefits stretching up to 99 weeks in many States. Under the JOBS Act, States could also use the money to prevent job-destroying unemployment tax hikes or for programs designed to get unemployed workers back on the job.

Under current law, the remaining $31 billion in federal unemployment funds could only be spent for unemployment benefits stretching up to 99 weeks in many states. Under the JOBS Act, states could also use the money to prevent unemployment tax hikes or for programs designed to get unemployed workers back on the job.

The bill was introduced in the Senate by Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and in the House by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Geoff Davis, R-Ky., and Human Resources Subcommittee member Rick Berg, R-N.D.

"Hitting our nation’s job creators with significant tax hikes as a means of replenishing state unemployment programs is bad policy that undermines the ultimate goal a robust economic recovery,” Hatch said in a statement. “This legislation is a fiscally smart way of empowering states by giving them the flexibility they need to strengthen programs for the unemployed, while promoting a pro-growth environment to spur job creation.”

gettheminNOVEMBER wrote:Anythig the repukes introduce will NEVER help the people only their corporate scum backers!

You say you want a revolution is running through my head right now.

Dazed&Confused wrote:Jobs act my bee-hind. Just when you think they can do no more to you, you find out they can and will but I don't think this one will get passed the Senate, nevermind the White House. Republican just make me sick. Dazed

DesperateInRI wrote:

Dazed&Confused wrote:Jobs act my bee-hind. Just when you think they can do no more to you, you find out they can and will but I don't think this one will get passed the Senate, nevermind the White House. Republican just make me sick. Dazed

After the news that Rep. Camp introduced this bill in the House, it was announced that Senator Orrin Hatch introduced similar legislation in the Senate yesterday. This bicameral bill could end the way state's pay EUC, thereby ending the current Tier system in place.