TRENTON – A resolution sponsored by Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham, which would memorialize Congress to enact legislation to extend the 100% federal funding for emergency, extended and weekly unemployment insurance benefits to laid off workers, was approved today by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.
“This legislation is about urging Congress to act on legislation that would help to keep New Jersey’s families afloat in these tough economic times,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “While we wait, and hope for these benefits to be reinstated, roughly 38,000 New Jerseyans have lost their benefits. We just came through a difficult budget process – one where real sacrifices had to be made. New Jerseyans cannot be called upon to undergo anymore cuts in necessary services.”
Senator Cunningham’s resolution, SR-80, would call upon Congress to reinstate the federal law extending additional unemployment insurance benefits that were originally enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Currently, the federal government covers up to 53 weeks of 100% emergency unemployment insurance funding, 20 weeks of extended unemployment insurance benefits, and an additional $25 per week supplement for all benefits. Without the enactment of legislation urged by Senator Cunningham, the 20 weeks of extended benefits would have to be covered by the State.
This measure now heads to the full Senate for a vote.#