{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6015", "Wyden, Bennet, Beyer Introduce Bicameral Bill to Overhaul Unemployment Insurance", "2023-10-26", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald S. Beyer, Jr.", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", "beyer", "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Senator Michael F. Bennet, D-Colo., and U.S. Representative Don Beyer, D-Va., today introduced legislation to update and expand unemployment insurance so that the program better meets the needs of the modern workforce and is ready to respond should America face a future recession.\n\n\u201cThe past few years have clearly shown that our unemployment insurance system is broken and doesn\u2019t meet workers\u2019 needs. After decades of sabotage and neglect, this essential social safety net desperately needs an update,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cBy bringing unemployment insurance into the 21st century now, we will ensure American workers who become unemployed by no fault of their own will have the help they need as they get back on their feet \u2013 and will make sure we\u2019re ready if and when the next economic downturn hits, whether it be years from now or decades from now.\u201d\n\n\"Too many Americans struggle to access essential unemployment benefits as they navigate a patchwork of outdated state systems. Others \u2013 often low-wage workers, workers of color, caregivers, and self-employed workers \u2013 receive no protection when they lose a job,\" said Bennet. \"Our bill strengthens and expands benefits to help Colorado's workers stay afloat during difficult times and ensures our unemployment system is responsive to changing economic conditions.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe pandemic and ensuing economic downturn revealed both the importance of our unemployment insurance system and the desperate need for its expansion and modernization,\u201d said Beyer. \u201cThe inadequacy of the system forced Congress to step in and temporarily expand the program, but without permanent reform we are just as unprepared for a major crisis as we were before the pandemic. This bill will make long-overdue improvements to our unemployment system that will help families and the broader economy more easily weather a future economic shock.\u201d\n\nThe Unemployment Insurance Modernization and Recession Readiness Act would:\n\nUpdate the federal-state Extended Benefits program so that it will automatically add additional weeks of benefits when unemployment rises.\n\nEstablish new requirements for state unemployment programs to ensure that benefits are adequate to support workers through job loss and that more workers are covered when they lose their job.\n\nThis would include requiring that all states offer 26 weeks of benefits, replace 75 percent of workers\u2019 wages, cover part-time workers, and pay workers for their first week of unemployment\u2014the \u201cwaiting week.\u201d\n\nCreate new permanent federal programs for unemployed workers, including a $250 per week Jobseeker Allowance that would be available to any unemployed workers not covered by the traditional unemployment insurance system, such as self-employed workers and new entrants to the labor force.\n\nThe bill would also include an additional $25 weekly federal allowance for each dependent an unemployed worker has, and provide federal funding to increase unemployed workers\u2019 wage replacement rates to 100 percent during major disasters or public health emergencies.\n\nIn the Senate, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators John Fetterman, D-Pa., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Jack Reed, D-R.I., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.\n\nA section-by-section summary is here.\n\nThe text of the bill is here.\n\nStatements of Support\n\nMichele Evermore, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation: \"I applaud Senators Wyden and Bennet for their leadership to address decades of Congressional inaction on common sense reforms that have been recommended by bipartisan commissions going back to 1980 and 1996. We need to apply thoughtful permanent fixes that states have time to carefully implement while the economy is strong to avoid having to implement last minute fixes during economic crises.\"\n\nRebecca Dixon, President and CEO, National Employment Law Project: \u201cThe pandemic revealed how absolutely critical unemployment insurance is for supporting jobless workers, their families, and the entire economy. By updating the Extended Benefits program, modernizing regular unemployment insurance, and adding a powerful new jobseeker\u2019s allowance to support workers who are excluded from the current system, the Unemployment Insurance Modernization and Recession Readiness Act will make the system stronger, more equitable, and better prepared for the next recession.\u201d\n\nLiz Shuler, President, AFL-CIO: \"The AFL-CIO strongly endorses the Unemployment Insurance Modernization and Recession Readiness Act of 2023. There was no clearer example of the need to upgrade and modernize our decades-old unemployment system for supporting laid off workers than during the 2020 pandemic recession. This legislation expands unemployment coverage, raises benefits and establishes safeguards in the event of rising unemployment. This bill ensures that our country is prepared to manage a potential future economic downturn.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6015"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6293149199336767, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}