2 million lost US unemployment benefits

The number of people who have lost unemployment benefits since Congress failed to extend long-term aid has risen to 2 million, an advocate said Tuesday.

The National Employment Law Project said about 1 million children are living in households that have lost income because of the cutoff, UPI reported.
About 72,000 people lose benefits every week.
Democrats in Congress are pushing for a six-month extension of Emergency Unemployment Compensation, and President Obama has factored it into his proposed budget, the project said.
The extension could come up for a vote in the Senate next week.
“It is unconscionable that any Senator, regardless of party, would willfully deny struggling constituents the modest aid they need to sustain themselves and their children while they continue to search for work,” said Christine Owens, the project’s executive director.