Unemployment Extension benefits Tier 5 for 99ers need of the hour. Long at last the unemployment benefits have been approved. But the passage of the bill has been torturous with Republicans trying to block it. For more than six months there was standoff of on the issue between the Democrats and Republicans.

Republicans had wanted more time on it whereas the Democrats were not willing to budge. They were in a rush to get it passed as soon as possible.

They were under intense pressure to act on this important front because they had come to power by making the promise to sort out unemployment. They knew that a delay will only hamper their popularity. That is why the effort to get it passed was being spearheaded by President Barack Obama.

He kept on his work to convince the Senate about the importance of this bill that would help some 2 million workers who had lost job in the last six months following recession. During the voting, two Republicans also sided with the Democrats.

The bill now has been turned into a law and now jobless Americans are eligible for up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits until early June. The time has come for different states to dispatch the money to the needy people. Unemployment extensions were first introduced in 1958 and since then it has been granted six times.

Tier 5 Unemployment Extension Bill Petition Rises: 99ers Want Unemployment Benefits – The clamor for the passage of a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension Bill in the Congress continues. The recent HR 4213 Unemployment Extension Bill does not involve unemployment benefits for those 99ers or those that have received 99 weeks of their unemployment benefits. What will happen to these unemployed individuals now?

Without a Tier 5, these unemployed Americans will have to rely on federal TANF or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program which offers just over $500 each month. However, before you can avail this benefit, you must first prove that you’re capable of paying your rent. Apart from it, the only benefit available to those 99ers are food stamps.

Aside from the usual argument of the Republicans that the costs associated with the passage of a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension Bill will just add to the current huge deficit of the government, it is also being said that it creates a disincentive for a job seeking behavior. That means, if an unemployed individual is expecting to get unemployment benefits, then they will be less likely to get motivated to find a job. While some maybe in this kind of attitude, the majority are actually looking for jobs but there are just no work available in the market. In effect, they are continuously losing their homes, their resources, their food, and their dignity.

Several groups and organizations have set up various petition sites for 99ers. Change.org has this “The 99ers need a Tier 5 added to Unemployment Benefits“; The Petition Site has this “We need a Tier 5 Federal Unemployment Extension“; and Saver 99ers has this “Petittion to Save the 99ers”

Our politicians, especially the Republicans, need not to wait for crime rates to increase before they can address this issue immediately. Participate in any of these petitions for 99ers and let your voices be heard. Keep sending letters, emails, and phone calls to your senators. You can also contact the White House directly here and send your concerns to President Obama. America needs to take care of America.

This morning, the news pertaining to the jobless rate was higher than expected, and this underscored the need for the extended unemployment insurance benefits, which Obama signed later on in the day.

This site has written on this topic before, but we have to continue to do so because of the importance in light of the economic doldrums that we are going through.

For weeks, the Republicans and the Democrats have been fighting about the extension, positing their respective positions. But in the end, the Democrats mustered enough votes to allow the extension.

President Obama, on his part, used his “bully pulpit” to garner the needed support and votes… resulting in his singing of the unemployment extension.

The Washington Post is reporting that the President signed a six month extension, which restored benefits that were cut off since June for some 3 Million folks. These people have been out of work and are depending on these benefits. The extension will cost some $34 billion and the bill passed by a count of 272 to 152. The Republicans wanted the extension, but wanted the cost not to be borne by our treasury – the Democrats basically said not to worry about the deficit because there were people hurting here and now.

The truth is this is a temporary measure and we cannot keep going back to the well before the water is finished. President Obama must find a way to produce jobs – no blaming of President George Bush, even if warranted, will longer suffice. The broken vessel is now yours, Mr. President and you must put the pieces back together.

On Wednesday, after weeks of grueling legislative battle, the US Senate has approved a fourth extension of unemployment insurance benefits. It will cost about $34 billion and help 2.5 million people who lost their unemployment benefits on June 2, when the last extension expired.

The legislation adds a new wrinkle, allowing temp work without a future reduction of benefits, but it took away an extra $25 that went to the unemployed as part of the stimulus act. The bill still needs to be voted on by the House, expected by midday Thursday. Then, President Obama is expected to sign the legislation. Here are some basics about the legislation:

Who is eligible?
Basically, anyone is eligible who has not yet finished all the tiers of unemployment insurance. It will help people who have been out of work for more than 26 weeks, which is the period when state benefits end. However, the length of time of the federally funded unemployment benefit varies by state depending on how severe the unemployment is in each state.

For example, in the Dakotas and Nebraska, where unemployment is low, unemployment insurance is good for only 60 weeks. In places like Michigan, California, and Nevada, where there are more jobless, the benefit is up to 99 weeks.

Who is not eligible?
This bill will not add any additional weeks of benefits for people who have already exhausted their unemployment, a group of people sometimes called the “99ers” because they have already collected 99 weeks of unemployment insurance.

Is it retroactive?
Yes, it will be retroactive to June 2, when the last extension expired. This means some 2.5 million people will get lump-sum checks. However, the checks will not be as large as they had been because the Senate stripped out the $25 per person that had been added as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

When will the checks be mailed?
According to Judy Conti of the National Employment Law Project (NELP), depending on each state, people could expect to see their benefits paid in two to four weeks. Some states, such as California, are known as being slow to pay extensions because they are set up for US mail use only, says Jenny Hong of Unemployed-friends.com. Other states, such as Michigan, which uses online certification and direct deposit of checks, are known to be faster, says Ms. Hong.

How long is the extension?
Those eligible for unemployment insurance can expect to receive their checks through the end of November.

How will Congress pay for this extension?
Because it is categorized as “emergency spending,” it is not subject to congressional pay-go rules. Budget items subject to pay-go rules must have a predetermined funding source in order to be passed. However, the $34 billion will have effects that might help curb its impact on the federal budget deficit, which was projected at $1.6 trillion in February.

“Much if not all of the money will be spent, which increases economic activity,” explains Stanley Collender, a budget expert at Qorvis Communications in Washington. “And the budget deficit is probably shrinking, not growing, because we’ve gotten more of the TARP money back and corporate profits have been higher than anticipated,” says Mr. Collender, who expects the deficit will actually come in closer to $1.3 trillion this year.

What’s new in the legislation?
Under the old law, individuals who used to have part-time jobs or took seasonal employment would see their benefit levels reduced when they went back on unemployment. Thus, it was not unusual for someone who had been receiving $500 a week to take a part-time job, and then when they returned to unemployment find that their benefit was now based on their temp salary.

Under the new law, they will be able to keep their higher benefit. But this law is not retroactive.

CNN’s show `Larry King Live’ is set to interview convicted killer Alex King on the show that schedules tonight at
8 pm. Alex King along with his brother Derek who were released in 2008/2009 pleaded guilty to their dad’s murder back in 2001. At the time Derek King just aged 13 bludgeoned his father to death with a baseball bat whilst Alex King,12 confessed to planning his death.
According to FILMYFAIR, Alex King is due to join Larry tonight to talk about his time spent in prison, life after prison, moving on and his attempt to help young people stop violence. Followers of the show can email questions through the website Larrykinglive.blogs.cnn.com.

What are your thoughts on this story? Will you be tuning in to Larry King? Give us your comments on ONLY KENT. To read more about this check out FILMYFAIR