Washington - After Republican obstruction forced the expiration of the unemployment insurance and flood insurance programs for more than two weeks, the U.S. Senate today passed an extension to those programs through the end of May. Without an extension, 1 million Americans were at risk to lose their unemployment safety net in April and more than 200,000 would prematurely exhaust their benefits per week. In addition, each day that the National Flood Insurance Program, was not extended, the policies of an estimated 12,600 renewal customers in good standing would lapse, leaving them without coverage. This short-term extension was necessary as Congress works on a longer-term extension.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) said following the vote that the overdue extension of these programs will help working families stay afloat during tough times:
"People who have lost their jobs or have been flooded out of their homes were placed in limbo for more than two weeks by Republican obstruction in the Senate. These families fully understand how political games played with serious issues can have a real impact on people's lives. The overdue renewal of these programs will help restore badly needed insurance to families who are facing particularly tough times.
"The unemployment insurance program is critical for the many New Jersey workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and hope to keep their families afloat. In addition, economists say that it is one of the most effective stimulus programs at our disposal, and it is tremendously important that it has been renewed. Meanwhile, during the two weeks in which the flood insurance program was forced to expire, thousands of New Jersey families suffered through torrential rains that damaged their homes. With the program finally renewed, families can have their insurance claims processed, renew their policies and buy homes in flood plains."
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