The Times West Virginian

Opinion

February 9, 2010

Extension of unemployment benefits must be priority

If there is one thing on the minds of voters all across this great nation, it is the economy and the millions of Americans who are still out of work.

Statistics show that nearly 40 percent of those who are unemployed — or more than 6.1 million people — have been out of work for six months or longer, according to U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.

The unemployment rate in West Virginia is currently estimated at 9.1 percent. The number of unemployed in the Mountain State rose another 5,300 from a month ago to 67,400 in December. With millions more across the nation still unemployed, and with a national unemployment rate hovering at 10 percent, lawmakers in Washington are going to have to get serious about finding ways to get folks back to work.

That means putting dangerous, job-killing measures like cap and trade on the backburner, and instead focusing on what should be their top priority: A troubled economy.

The controversial $787 billion stimulus bill passed by Congress last year may have helped stave off further financial disaster, but it ultimately failed in its primary mission of putting the unemployed back to work.

The jobs this massive stimulus package were supposed to have created simply aren’t there.

It is clearly imperative for President Barack Obama, and all lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans alike — to prioritize job creation and economic recovery.

The surprise victory last month of Republican Scott Brown in liberal Massachusetts must be viewed as a wake-up call to lawmakers in Washington. People are concerned about the economy, and rebuilding our nation’s economy and getting folks back to work should be the top priority of lawmakers.

However, that economic recovery won’t happen overnight. With unemployment benefits set to expire soon, Byrd and 30 other senators are now asking for an extension of those benefits and eligibility for the COBRA Premium Assistance Program through Dec. 31 of this year.

“The Congress has a moral responsibility to relieve the suffering of working families going through such difficult times,” Byrd said recently. “We must maintain a strong safety net for those who have lost their jobs, their income and their health insurance.”

Byrd is correct. Until the administration can come up with a viable recovery plan that will actually get the unemployed back to work, we must extend the safety net for those who continue to suffer in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

— Bluefield Daily Telegraph

This editorial does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Times West Virginian editorial board.

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