President Obama signed the unemployment insurance extension bill that had been blocked by Republican Senators protesting the termination of tax breaks for the top 2 percent. The legislation will get jobless benefits flowing once again to more than 2.5 million long-term jobless workers who were cut off due to GOP filibusters.
The legislation cleared its last hurdle when the House approved the bill 272-152. It extends through November the long-term benefits program for workers who have been jobless for six months or more—nearly 7 million of the nation’s official 15 million unemployed workers.
Before signing the bill, Obama said:
Americans who are working day and night to get back on their feet and support their families in these tough economic times deserve more than obstruction and partisan game-playing that happens too often here in Washington.
Obama also urged Congress to:
act on more proposals that support our economic recovery, including passing critical aid to our states and support to small businesses to create new private-sector jobs.