January 8, 2014

GOV. MALLOY JOINS NATION'S GOVERNORS URGING CONGRESS TO EXTEND FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today joined a group of 14 governors from across the country urging Congressional leaders to extend federal unemployment benefits for millions of Americans whose benefits under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program expired at the end of 2013.

"As you know, 1.3 million jobless workers, including 20,000 recent military veterans, experienced the end of their benefits on December 28th, and nearly another 1.9 million will lose their unemployment benefits over the first half of this year," the governors wrote in a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. "In the past, Congress has extended unemployment benefits during similar economic downturns. Failure to extend it now would only halt our economic recovery and undo the progress that we have made since the height of the recent downturn. In fact, inaction would reduce economic growth by an estimated $38 billion and would eliminate approximately 310,000 jobs from the U.S. economy."

In addition to Governor Malloy of Connecticut, the governors of California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont and Washington signed onto the letter.

** Download : Letter from 14 governors urging Congress to extend federal unemployment benefits

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For Immediate Release: January 8, 2014

Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy