WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) voted twice on Tuesday to advance legislation that would sustain support for jobless Americans by extending federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits. Both procedural votes were defeated, each failing to earn the 60 votes necessary to overcome a Republican filibuster.
“Unemployment insurance is a critical part of our safety net that helps those who have lost a job keep a roof over their heads and food on the table while they search for work,” Senator Coons said. “Congress should not be turning its back on the millions of Americans who are still looking for a job. Congress needs to refocus on jobs — on giving American workers the skills they need to succeed in the modern economy, investing in R&D, helping innovative small manufacturers grow and create jobs, and boosting exports by opening new markets. I am deeply disappointed in the Senate today, and will continue working with my colleagues to find a bipartisan compromise that restores our investment in American workers.”
The unemployment insurance system is a partnership between the federal government and state governments that provides a temporary weekly benefit to qualified workers who have lost their jobs and are seeking employment. The amount of that benefit is based in part on a worker’s past earnings. Most states have a 26-week cap on their unemployment benefits, after which federal emergency benefits become available.
Thirty-six hundred Delawareans lost their federal unemployment benefits on December 28th and another 4,800 are expected to lose them over the next six months as they hit Delaware’s 26-week limit.
Senator Coons was a cosponsor of the bill blocked by Tuesday’s filibuster. The bill would have extended funding for federal emergency unemployment benefits for three months.