Anti-GOP ads: Not so ‘Merry Christmas’ for unemployed
By Brian Koenig, December 26, 2013
The liberal nonprofit group Americans United for Change is using a new TV ad to accuse Republicans of ruining Christmas for the 1.3 million Americans whose unemployment benefits are about to stop.
“To
the 1.3 million Americans losing benefits, Merry Christmas, from the
GOP,” the
ad says.
The spot will run Thursday and Friday on national cable TV networks,
including CNN, the group said.
The unemployment payments are ending because Congress didn’t pass an extension on the recession-era program that offers benefits for people who still can’t find work even after their state aid runs out. The program expires Saturday.
The unemployment payments are ending because Congress didn’t pass an extension on the recession-era program that offers benefits for people who still can’t find work even after their state aid runs out. The program expires Saturday.
“For
Washington Republicans to Scrooge over a million Americans out of
unemployment benefits three days after Christmas takes a lot of nerve
and makes little economic sense,” Brad Woodhouse, president of
Americans United for Change, said in a statement.
“All
out-of-work Americans and their families got for Christmas from the
GOP were lectures about pulling up on their bootstraps a little
harder.”
Another
850,000 workers will be missing the program in the first three months
of 2014 when their state benefits run out.
A
pair of Democratic lawmakers were adamant Thursday in a conference
call with reporters that the benefits be extended for three months,
and that a way be found to pay for them only afterwards.
"There's
a sense that this is indeed a lifeline," said Rep. Sandy Levin
of Michigan.
Sen.
Jack Reed of Rhode Island also argued that eliminating the benefits
will hurt the economy because without the payments, recipients will
severely curtail their spending.
The
Republican National Committee didn’t immediately respond to a
request for comment Thursday.
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