Call your Senators today to extend unemployment and health care benefits!

Call your Senators today to extend unemployment and health care benefits!




Last night, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) blocked the Senate from voting to extend Unemployment Insurance and COBRA subsidies for 30 days for unemployed workers. Today, Sen. Jon Kyl's (R-AZ) office is telling people that they are holding up the extension as leverage to permanently weaken the federal estate tax, and further enrich America's wealthiest families.

There are no words to describe this unconscionable behavior. Apparently, to at least Jon Kyl, the financial peril of 1.2 million workers and their families is less important than the desire of dead millionaires who want to pay no taxes. How will we continue to pay for such important parts of the social safety net if we keep decreasing the estate tax and move toward repealing it ?

Interfaith Worker Justice supports the extension of these benefits for all of 2010 so that this doesn't need to keep coming up for a vote. But given the economic crisis and the vast number of workers who have been unemployed for extended times, the first step must be the immediate passage of the 30-day extension.

Call Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the Majority Leader in the Senate, today. Ask him to file for cloture on the 30-day extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits and to keep the Senate in session all weekend if that's what it takes to get it done.

Sen. Reid's phone number is 202-224-3542.

Then call your two Senators. Tell them that we must pass the 30-day extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits. Tell them that we must not allow some senators to hold unemployed workers, their families, and their communities hostage, and they must do the right thing and pass the extension.

Call the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) today or Monday and ask them to transfer you to your two Senators.

In Peace and Justice,

Ted Smukler
Public Policy Director
Interfaith Worker Justice