Obama to sign jobless benefits bill

Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- The House followed the Senate and voted overwhelmingly today to approve an additional 20 weeks of unemployment benefits for workers in Michigan and other hard-hit states, sending the bill to the president for approval.

President Barack Obama will sign the legislation Friday, the White House said, and Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office says checks for the tens of thousands of jobless workers who've exhausted their benefits could go out by mid-December.

The House vote was 403 to 12, one day after the Senate approved the same bill, 98-0.

"This legislation offers a lifeline to out-of-work Americans," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said. "... It's a smart choice for our economy: Every dollar spent on unemployment benefits generates more than $1.60 in new economic demand. It's good for businesses; it's good for workers."

While the vote was bipartisan, Republicans criticized Obama's economic policies and the Democrats' proposal to overhaul the health care system, and proposed instead tax cuts to help stimulate the economy.

"The things that they are doing on the other side of the aisle, the stimulus bill, $1 trillion, the health care bill that they are going to try to ram through here ... really troubles me," said Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., who supported the extension but urged more tax cuts. "When you cut taxes, you stimulate economic growth, you see more products, and people go back to work."

All of Michigan's House members voted for the extra benefits except Reps. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, and Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, neither of whom voted. Rogers' mother died Wednesday, and he returned to Michigan. Stupak's mother-in-law also died recently, and he is attending funeral-related activities.

Generally, any Michigan unemployed worker who exhausted their benefits in 2009 would qualify for up to 20 weeks of benefits, according to spokesman Norm Isotalo of the state's unemployment agency.

Checks won't begin arriving until mid-December for those Michiganians who've exhausted benefits because of a web of time-consuming steps -- such as waiting for guidance from the U.S. Labor Department on how to juggle the new benefits with previously enacted ones and how to examine the work histories of those who've exhausted benefits -- and upcoming short weeks due to the Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving holidays.

The bill provides 14 weeks of additional benefits to all states, plus six more weeks for states with unemployment rates of at least 8.5 percent. Michigan's jobless rate is 15.3 percent -- the highest in the nation.

Overall, 600,000 jobless Americans have cashed their last unemployment check, including 44,500 in Michigan as of mid-October.

Another 30,000 in Michigan are projected to exhaust their benefits by mid-December, which is when -- assuming final action this week -- the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency says it could begin sending out checks under the latest extension.

The jobless in the hardest-hit states could receive up to 99 weeks of benefits. Michigan offers up to $387 per week.

The bill also includes tax credits to help revive the housing market: $8,000 for a larger pool of first-time home buyers, and $6,500 for people buying new homes who've lived in their current residence for at least the past five years.

"There is no substitute for a good job and steady income," Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, said after the vote. "But at a time when many families are struggling to keep the lights on, Congress must put aside our partisan differences to do what is best for our people and do what must be done to help them through this difficult period."

dprice@detnews.com (202) 662-8736