Rep. Charles Rangel: Unemployment and Poverty in America

The recent payroll tax deal struck by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama will keep an average of $1,000 in the pockets of 160 million American families through 2012 in addition to enabling tens of millions of seniors to continue seeing the doctor of their choice under Medicare. It also provides unemployment benefits for millions of people who have been unable to find a job; however many Republicans continued to ignore the impact unemployment insurance has on poverty in America. They argue that jobless individuals would rather collect unemployment benefits than look for work. This argument is both insensitive and baseless.

Unemployment insurance is an individual worker’s insurance program, not a handout. Just as with automobile or homeowners insurance, one must first have paid into the system to receive compensation. To do so he must have been employed full-time and have lost his job at no fault of his own by being laid off.

via Rep. Charles Rangel: Unemployment and Poverty in America.