Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis urging House Republicans to extend unemployment benefits, payroll tax cut

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement urging House Republicans to pass Senate legislation extending the payroll tax cut and emergency Unemployment Insurance benefits:

"We are at a pivotal moment for the American worker and the American economy. Unless House Republicans drop their opposition to a bipartisan compromise on extending the payroll tax cut and Unemployment Insurance, America will usher in the new year by raising taxes on 160 million workers and cutting a lifeline to 2.5 million Americans who are looking for a job.

"The president's team has fought hard for months to persuade the other side that raising taxes on the middle class and turning our backs on the unemployed would be bad policy. After passionate debate, 89 senators — including more than three-fourths of Senate Republicans — came around and voted to do the right thing.

"House Speaker John Boehner even called the Senate vote a 'victory.'  But now, members of his own party are blocking passage of this common-sense legislation. I strongly urge them to take a holiday from this relentless political gamesmanship, honor their principles and vote against a $1,000 tax increase on the middle class.

"When it comes to extending UI benefits, we know what works. Last year, we extended emergency benefits for 7 million Americans. We saw an uptick in job creation, and the Census Bureau said we kept 3.2 million people from falling into poverty.

"I've met many Unemployment Insurance claimants. They are not freeloaders. They are hardworking people. They spend all day, every day, filling out applications, sending out resumes and looking for work. Cutting their lifeline as the holidays approach to win a political game is the wrong approach for this country."

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov.  The information above is available in large print, Braille, audio tape or disc from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. 

SOURCE U.S. Department of Labor

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