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Democrats want jobless benefits in cliff deal
Associated Press ^
Dec. 8, 2012
Sam Hananel
Hovering in the background of the fiscal cliff debate is the prospect of 2 million people losing their unemployment benefits four days after Christmas.
This is the real cliff, said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. He's been leading the effort to include another extension of benefits for the long-term unemployed in any deal to avert looming tax increases and massive spending cuts in January. Many of these people are struggling to pay mortgages, to provide education for their children, Reed said this past week as President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, rejected each others opening offers for a deficit deal.
Emergency jobless benefits for about 2.1 million people out of work more than six months will cease Dec. 29, and 1 million more will lose them over the next three months if Congress doesnt extend the assistance again. Since the collapse of the economy in 2008, the government has poured $520 billionan amount equal to about half its annual deficit in recent yearsinto unemployment benefit extensions.
(Excerpt)
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Democrats want jobless benefits in 'cliff' deal