Carson: House Republicans Continue to Play Politics with Unemployment Benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman André Carson released the following statement regarding today's failure to pass H.R. 5618, Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act, which extends unemployment insurance benefits to millions of Americans families:

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"Congressional Republicans decided today to join their counterparts in the Senate in caring more about politics than helping the 1.7 million unemployed Americans, including nearly 39,000 Hoosiers, who will lose their economic lifeline by July 3.

"By blocking the extension of unemployment benefits, Republicans are not only hurting households where many are out of work by no fault of their own. They are hurting our economy as well. While we've seen positive signs pointing to an economic turnaround, we remain at a critical point in this recovery. The Congressional Budget Office has found extending these benefits to be one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting ways to stimulate the economy.

"I hope that Republicans in Congress reorganize their priorities and put our recovery and the needs of struggling families before their policy of obstruction."

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