A bill that would temporarily provide an additional 13 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits to states with high and sustained unemployment has lost momentum in the Senate. The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 (H.R. 3548) sailed through the House of Representatives on September 22 by a vote of 331 to 83.  Obstacles to this measure arose in the Senate, however, where some lawmakers have expressed concern that this bill would be unfair to those states that have not exceeded 8.5% unemployment (for a rolling three-month average), as required by the bill to qualify for additional benefits.

Leading the criticism is Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who argued that the UI benefits extension should apply to all 50 states. In a statement and letter to the Senate signed by 14 fellow Democratic Senators and two Independents, Shaheen said that “unemployed workers face equally severe challenges no matter what state they live in, and they should be given the support they need.”