According to the Web site of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the bill:

• Provides an additional 7 weeks of extended unemployment benefits for workers who have exhausted regular unemployment compensation (20 total weeks when combined with the 13 weeks provided earlier this year).
• Nearly 800,000 workers are projected to exhaust their current extended unemployment benefits in October unless Congress acts.
• Earlier this year, Congress helped 3.5 million Americans looking for jobs -- providing up to 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every state to workers exhausting the 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits.
• Under the measure, workers in high unemployment states are eligible for an additional 13 weeks of benefits (33 total weeks).
• Extending these benefits is one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting ways to stimulate the economy because the money is spent quickly, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Every $1 spent on unemployment benefits generates $1.64 in new economic demand. (Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economy.com, 1/22/08)
• The $6 billion in benefits will be paid from the Federal unemployment trust fund, which has more than enough reserves to cover the cost.^[1]