Washington, DC – In a 60-37 vote, the Senate passed a procedural measure Jan. 7 that allows a bill to restore Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits to move forward.

San José, CA – The Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program, which provides federal aid to jobless workers whose state Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits have run out will expire at the end of 2013. This will cut off 1.3 million unemployed people immediately. Another 800,000 jobless workers who would have qualified for EUC won’t be able to extend their benefits in the first three months of 2014.

Many tax cuts for wealthy also kept

San José, CA – Early New Year’s Day, the U.S. Senate voted 89-8 to pass a compromise bill to put off the so-called ‘fiscal cliff.’ The bill now goes to the House of Representatives, where Republicans are likely to try to get even more tax breaks for the rich.

Millions of people are out of work. Those who are laid off are being foreclosed out of their homes, losing health care, and finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. Youth unemployment is particularly high. Even recent college graduates are forced to live in their parents’ homes. Many are unable to make payments on their college loan debt. Being laid off and unable to find work, millions of immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are forced to leave after years of working in the U.S.