Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement in response to Senate Republicans obstructing the extension of emergency legislation that extends unemployment insurance, COBRA and other critical programs.

“This is no time for political games – too many American families are dependent on these crucial programs. In this economic climate, the last thing American families should have to worry about is how to pay the heating bill, or how to put gas in their car. It is unfortunate that Senate Republicans are out of touch with what the American people are facing. Our citizens cannot afford to wait for Congress to extend these programs and Senator Bunning must end his filibuster at once,” stated Rep. Clarke.

The emergency legislation includes a 30-day extension of a range of programs that expired last night, including unemployment insurance, help for unemployed workers in paying for health care (COBRA), small business loan guarantees, the highway bill, and flood insurance. It also delays cuts in Medicare physician payments to make sure that seniors have reliable access to their doctors.

“Without this extension over 85,000 New Yorkers will lose their unemployment insurance this month, and when they do, they’ll know who is accountable. Due to the Republican filibuster, nearly 1.2 million out-of-work Americans, become ineligible for federal unemployment insurance. Millions more will lose their unemployment insurance at the end of this month if Republican obstruction continues. This is outrageous, and I am calling on Senate Republicans to put partisan politics aside so that millions of families, and thousands of New Yorkers, can get the emergency relief they desperately need,” concluded Rep. Clarke.

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