I am writing to urge you to take action on renewing federal unemployment benefit extensions. Congress must immediately and pass HR 5618 that extends the deadline for eligibility for Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs and the full federal funding of Extended Benefits through November of this year.

For too long, unemployed workers and their families have suffered the anxiety and stress that comes with all the stop-gap extensions that Congress has been passing, and given the still high rates of unemployment in this country (9.5 nationwide and 10.0 in Georgia), and the 5.3 million people who are receiving federal benefits, especially the 2.5 million who have seen their benefits end because of Congress’ inaction and uncaring. It didn’t seem that Congress was singing the deficit blues when it voted to bail out big business and give billions so that these same companies could turn around and reward the same executives who mismanaged these companies to the point of being too big to fail. Well sir, the American people who need this aid are too big to fail and won’t be using that money for Lear jets and executive bonuses—they’ll be using it to house, feed, and clothe their families. In short, they’ll be using that money to survive until the economy improves. I didn’t hear anyone in Congress making “my grandchildren’s grandchildren’s granchildren” speeches when you were loading up the cash trough to feed your corporate sponsors. The unemployed are not lazy, drug abusers as some in Congress insinuate, but rather your constituents that need your help.

Since the record shows that you voted against the EUC extensions, don’t think that the 982,291 Georgia state residents (that’s the number of people unemployed in your state based on the latest unemployment statistics provided by the Georgia Department of Labor) you in effect told don’t matter to you will forget or forgive that fact. However, with your help, the unemployment compensation programs that need to continue at least through the end of November can be reinstated. And I’m sure then that you would then garner the gratitude of these 982,291 unemployed registered voters. Additionally, even though HR5618 doesn’t address additional tiers of EUC, that is something that Congress should address in the immediate future.

It’s critical that the Congress approve these measures immediately to prevent further interruptions in these important programs. Please act now and make sure that millions nationwide and nearly a million people in your state alone do not face continuing joblessness coupled with an end to benefits that have kept them afloat so far.