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Congress and the 99ers
July 13, 2010 - by Donny Shaw
Michael Fletcher has a great piece in the Washington Post today about the 99ers — a rapidly-growing demographic of people who have been out of work for more than 99 weeks and have exhausted all of their extended unemployment insurance benefits:
Even before his unemployment checks ended, Dwight Michael Frazee’s days were filled with the pursuit of any idea that could earn him a buck. But few are working out, and now his nights are filled with dread.
In the coming weeks, the Senate is expected to resume its debate about whether to extend the emergency jobless benefits that were passed in response to the steep increase in unemployment caused by the recession. But people like Frazee, who have suffered the longest in the downturn, will not be part of that conversation. They are among the 1.4 million workers who have been unemployed for at least 99 weeks, according to the Labor Department, reaching the limit for the insurance. Their numbers have grown sixfold in the past three years.
The 99ers are glaring examples of the nation’s most serious bout of long-term joblessness since the Great Depression. Nearly 46 percent of the country’s 14.6 million unemployed people have been out of work for more than six months, and forecasters project that the situation will not improve anytime soon. Currently, the Labor Department says there are nearly five unemployed people for every job opening.
The 99ers are the true victims of the jobless recovery. Yes, millions of people who have been out of work for months are struggling right now because Congress has let the extended benefits period expire, but a couple weeks from now that will be extended and those people will see their benefit payments return, including retroactive reimbursements for any payments that were put on hold. If they can find a job before the 99-weeks-max benefit period expires under the currently-pending extension (H.R. 5618) on November 30, 2010, in a sense, the system will have worked at helping them weather this crisis. But for those who are not able to find a job by then, they will join the ranks of the 99ers who, so far, have seen nothing but neglect from the people in charge of U.S. economic policy.
Not only are the 99ers not addressed in the current unemployment extension bill that is moving through the Senate, but of the approximately 10,000 bills that have been introduced in Congress over the past two years, not a single one of them is designed to help them. So far, there has been unanimous refusal among federal policymakers to face up to the fact that millions of people are being swept under the rug because of a crisis that was caused by government regulators and corporations. And let’s not pussfoot here — many of these people whose jobs were taken away are going to end up on the streets, and some will undoubtedly die as a direct result of the situation.
Ezra Klein explains from a policy perspective why 99ers need help in this crisis:
In a state with 9 percent unemployment — which means more like 20 percent underemployment — it’s very difficult to believe that unemployment benefits are providing a serious disincentive to work. You worry about unemployment benefits when the labor market is tight enough that people can find jobs. You don’t worry about them when there are tons of workers who need jobs, and very few jobs for them to get. Right now, there are about five workers for every one job. Unemployment insurance is not the problem here. That mismatch is. Endless unemployment insurance can be a problem when the labor market is ready to reabsorb the unemployed, but that’s not the world we’re in.
Nothing is going to happen for the 99ers unless they are organized and fighting. House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi [D, CA-8] has effectively said “no” to extending benefits beyond 99 weeks, and there are grumblings on Capitol Hill that the extension currently making its way through the Senate will be the last one, meaning there will be no extended benefits after November 30th. Moreover, the Republicans, who have been blocking the current extension for months in the Senate are expected to win a significant number of seats in the next session of Congress, which begins in January 2011. The Democrats have 59 Senate seats now. Come January, they will probably have only 52 or so.
The plight of the 99ers is generally overlooked, but make no mistake: this is where the real fight for the unemployed is taking place. The extension that is currently stuck in the Senate is virtually a done deal — it is expected to pass next week and be signed into law. But that will expire in November and economists are predicting that the unemployment rate is going to stay pretty much where it is through much of 2011. That means that millions of the people who are fighting for the extension in the Senate right now will be in a much worse situation just a few months down the line unless they somehow manage to get Congress to pay attention.
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Comments
Displaying 31-60 of 96 total comments.
The company does make these payments. But since you are working for them and these payments are a percentage of the wages paid per hour. Basically, since the company pays these, YOU are paying them by recieving a lower wage so these can be paid.
Here is what I don’t get. We elect these officials to be our voice. We don’t elect them to tell us what their opinion is. We elect them to share and voice our opinion and needs. They can disagree with me all they want. They can blame my ignorance of the system or think to themselves that us simple folk just don’t understand the total picture so they must make the best choices for us. WRONG! That is not their job. Their job is simple be a voice for the people. I don’t need a mom and daddy in the government making the best choice for me. I need them to do what we elected them to do and vote for what we demand.
I never want to be in this situation again. Im over 50 and am scared about being homeless. I had an interview yesterday..now its wait and see what happens. My husband has been putting in applications as much as we can.I still continue to go to my technical college classes. Hopefully my associates degree will pay off one day. I cant see how anyone would even think we want to be unemployed. Supporting your family with a job is the only way to go.
Pay for this extension with stimulus funds and problem solved.
The dems claim they don’t want to use stimulus funds because the funds are there to create new jobs. I would understand that if there were jobs being created! Where are these jobs? I think both parties are creating this problem for their own selfish reasons, nobody really cares!
People,The problem is that the media is not covering anything with the unemployment, what it is going to take is for the unemployed disrupt the working people for it to make the new’s like thousands of motorist meet on a major freeway lets say rush hour in the morning while the working are trying to get to work all the unemployed motorist get together and just stop on the freeway get out and strap banners [about the bill not being passed ect] on top of the vehicle and with the new’s chopper flying over the whole nation will get to read your banners, and I gurantee the whole nation maybe even the world will here our message, what are they going to do arrest thousands of people, guess what, the jails and prisons are full and for some that might make it to jail at least you get 3 hots and a cot
I’m confused, I lost my job in September of last year, I have not begun to go into any tier. What about the ones who have passed the 26 weeks and was going into the first tier, is Nov 30TH it for us also? The Government is full of CRAMP!!!! Why are they doing Americans like this? This is crazy!! All I know is you are really going to have to put your trust in God, those men that they put in office are dumb as a box of rocks lol!!! They know what is going on, yet they don’t get on the band wagon and help us out!!! But yet they won’t you to vote come Nov lol!!! God is really the only one you can put your trust in really. I pray everyday and night that these people pass this bill, it is a real shame that we are struggling like this, IN AMERICA!!! Who would of that!!!
AMEM!
I was watching C-Span today and Harry Reid was on, he was asked about the vote on the UC extension. He replied that he would like to vote on it Thursday of this week, if not the Senate would have to work on it again on Saturday. He made the comment that he hoped it would be settled on Thursday because the Senators hate to work on Saturdays! WTF I like eating everyday!!! I dont give a shit if they have to stay 24 hrs a day to get this thing passed. They just took 2 extended vacations and their worried about working on Saturdays. In November they wont have to worry about it, the only work they will have to do then is to start looking for another job
Not only do they not like to work on Saturdays, they like to take 2 week vacations, and then a whole month, how much do they really actually work for that nice big fat paycheck they earn courtesy of…you guessed it…YOU AND Me!!!! What a jackass!
I just interviewed today to compete for my old job, but apparently so much competition it doesnt look good. I still have to interview a 2nd round. 2 rounds of interviews just to work at my old workplace…… and then only for a few months! where is the job security. Big Corporate America holds all the cards, rules Congress makes all the profits and we are left to pay our taxes AND suffer the layoffs.
The pressure of interviewing with no unemployment and everything constantly on the line is so draining. I’m working Census too but that isn’t going to last. Times are very hard.
I’m glad Reid cares enough to call a vote Thurs, I hope he does.
I hope Manchin gets his precious Senate seat/career move too, we all know thats whats most important to America.
99’ers…hell what about the 26ers who never even made it into the first extension tier?
Raise your hand if you’re a 26er! → RAISE!!!
Hello fellow 26er! Im hoping To get to the first tier before our family is completely broke.
RAISE!
THEY NEED HELP ALSO…HOWEVER I AGREE THEY SHOULD AT LEAST LET US MAKE IT TO THE 99 WEEKS. I SURE HOPE THEY GET IT PASSED THIS WEEK.
Really don’t know where to start. The senators really do not believe in COMA ! You may have us now, but come this election we will have you then ! Senator Reid goes on National TV telling everyone he wished OBAMA was more AGGRESSIVE… Wow REID you are the one in CONTROL, the ball is in your court ! You can stop everyone from going home ! You have that POWER ! You need to use it ! Must I walk into your office with my 3 year old and 7 year old and hand them over to you, so you can feed them and give them a roof over their heads. Again you have the power to call an emergency meeting for the bill to pass. So its not OBAMA who needs to be more aggressive, its you REID ! The American People are BITTER and will not forget what you all have done to us ! With out OUR vote you SENATORS will not have a job as well !
I agree. What does he want Obama to do, slap every congressman who votes no until they vote yes? If Obama could pass this bill w/o the senate I am pretty sure he would
Really don’t know where to start. The senators really do not believe in COMA ! You may have us now, but come this election we will have you then ! Senator Reid goes on National TV telling everyone he wished OBAMA was more AGGRESSIVE… Wow REID you are the one in CONTROL, the ball is in your court ! You can stop everyone from going home ! You have that POWER ! You need to use it ! Must I walk into your office with my 3 year old and 7 year old and hand them over to you, so you can feed them and give them a roof over their heads. Again you have the power to call an emergency meeting for the bill to pass. So its not OBAMA who needs to be more aggressive, its you REID ! The American People are BITTER and will not forget what you all have done. ! With out OUR vote you SENATORS will not have a job as well !
So is there really a possibility they will pass the unemployment extension this week….Does anyone know ?
Really don’t know where to start. The senators really do not believe in COMA ! You may have us now, but come this election we will have you then ! Senator Reid goes on National TV telling everyone he wished OBAMA was more AGGRESSIVE… Wow REID you are the one in CONTROL, the ball is in your court ! You can stop everyone from going home ! You have that POWER ! You need to use it ! Must I walk into your office with my 3 year old and 7 year old and hand them over to you, so you can feed them and give them a roof over their heads. Its not OBAMA who needs to be more aggressive, its you REID ! The American People are BITTER and will not forget what you all have done. ! With out OUR vote you SENATORS will not have a job as well !
Really don’t know where to start. The senators really do not believe in COMA ! Senator Reid goes on National TV telling everyone he wished OBAMA was more AGGRESSIVE… Wow REID you are the one in CONTROL, the ball is in your court ! You can stop everyone from going home ! You have that POWER ! You need to use it ! Must I walk into your office with my 3 year old and 7 year old and hand them over to you, so you can feed them and give them a roof over their heads. Its not OBAMA who needs to be more aggressive, its you REID ! The American People are BITTER and will not forget what you all have done. ! With out OUR vote you SENATORS will not have a job as well !
Really don’t know where to start. The senators really do not believe in COMA ! Senator Reid goes on National TV telling everyone he wished OBAMA was more AGGRESSIVE… Wow REID you are the one in CONTROL, the ball is in your court ! You can stop everyone from going home ! You have that POWER ! You need to use it ! Its not OBAMA who needs to be more aggressive, its you REID ! The American People are BITTER and will not forget what you all have done. ! With out OUR vote you SENATORS will not have a job as well !
Do you SENATORS belive in COMA ?
>>grumblings on Capitol Hill that the extension currently making its way through the Senate will be the last one, meaning there will be no extended benefits after November 30th. >>
the arrogance of some elected officials astounds me. What about fixing the problem? The economy and policies that got us here in the first place.
I see no deadline placed on addressing that. We elected them to address these issues and paid taxes all our lives. And I don’t mean just fudging the numbers for the media and announcing the recession is “over”.
Recessioned America wants decent jobs they can live on and hope for the future, not an arbitrary abandonment date!
this is what it’s going to come to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uupBAX0oSW8
the only thing I’m lucky enough to say is I’ve got nothing for the mob to steal.
only debt!
When it’s gets real clam, and the wind stops blowing, that’s usually when the
storm usually hits.
I hope for your own sake people that when they pass this bill you dont go about your own ways.I’d like to say unless they do something with the 99ers or come up with a GOOD stratagy for job we will have to do this again in november.To the 99ers I want to say this new bill will be a small victory for me and my family but my heart goes out to you all, unless something serious happens in our government and our economy I too will be a 99er.Even if I do find a job or whatever may happen I’m with you guys until they do something for you weither it be write emails to senators and whatnot because its a travisty that they THINK they can treat the american people this way.It boils down to: the governemnt needs to refigure out that no matter how much money they make thay still work for us,they are supposed to be working for the BEST interests for the united states and not themselves or the rich or whatever they are representing now.God bless you all.
And btw when 9-11 happened it was terrorist striking at our hearts and we wont forget…this time it is our own country I hope that you wont forget that either