Unemployment Crisis: Congress Could Vote Today! Open Letter
Due to the unemployment crisis and Congress taking action on it this week, labor and progressive groups are organizing phone calls to the Capitol and holding a Wednesday rally there featuring unemployed workers and supportive Democratic members of Congress.
Thursday, Americans United for Change begin airing TV ads to make the case that the GOP alone is responsible for the cancelled unemployment benefits. [See Politico's article White House unemployment benefits push kicks into high gear]
Kelly Wetslund has written the following letter about the unemployment crisis:
My name’s Kelly Westlund, and my family’s relied on unemployment benefits before.
My husband is a carpenter. When Wall Street banks tanked our economy and crashed the housing market, there just wasn’t a lot of demand for the homes my husband specialized in building.
We needed unemployment benefits for several months to make ends meet.
Today, I’m on my local City Council and I’m running for Congress in Wisconsin. The issue of unemployment benefits is personal for me.
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote today on whether to extend unemployment benefits.
Republicans in Congress may block unemployment benefits.
My Tea Party Congressman, Sean Duffy, says he “struggles” to get by on $174,000 a year. That’s how out of touch they are.
I know that when that check comes in, families immediately use it to buy groceries and pay utility bills and put gas in the car. They’re reinvesting those dollars in our communities.
Protecting these earned benefits (and, I’d add, increasing the minimum wage) would create real economic growth that just doesn’t happen when rich people get more tax cuts.
Progressives know this. So do the majority of the American people, according to multiple polls.
The only question is whether Republicans hear loudly enough that the public is paying attention — and Democrats in Congress get enough encouragement to keep fighting until they win.
So, can you call Senators Mikulski and Cardin today? Click here for the number.
Families in the same position that mine once was will thank you. I do too.
– Kelly Westlund
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!
Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!
HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.
Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.
MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)
Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!
Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.
Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).
I am “one of those families” that is currently relying on UE benefits. Now that I don’t have ANY income, thanks to them, my entire family being homeless is a real threat. What has this place become? So sad.
There is no justification for this. How horrible. It’s a violation of human rights.
Like the right-wing propaganda that raising the minimum wage lowers employment, when actually it raises employment because it provides workers more money to spend. Just another way to put money in the pockets of the one percent, who are doing just fine, thank you. But not for long. Supply-side economics is voodoo economics, because the one percent doesn’t put their obscene profits back into the economy (for example by raising wages).