Pa. Lawmakers Working To Preserve Federal Unemployment Benefits
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - With a deadline looming, state lawmakers are still trying to agree on legislation that would preserve federal unemployment benefits for thousands of Pennsylvanians.
A spokesman for Senate Republicans says the state has about a week to enact legislation that would prevent disruption of federally funded jobless benefits for 45,000 Pennsylvanians. The state Senate has passed a bill that would preserve the benefits but a House committee Tuesday took that bill and added unemployment compensation reform language that Democrats immediately pounced on, saying it would unfairly cut benefits and would derail the bill intended to qualify for the federal benefit extension.
Democrats say the GOP is rushing reform. House Republican leaders tried and failed to get a measure to address the solvency of the state's unemployment compensation system through the chamber two weeks ago.
Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio
