Congress to eye more jobless benefits

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Laid-off Michigan autoworkers and others could see their unemployment benefits extended under a measure being considered by Congress, observers say.

With as many as 100,000 state residents set to cash their last unemployment check by the end of year, a 13-week benefits extension provided under bills gaining now support in Washington would come as welcome news, The Detroit News reported Monday.

The newspaper said lawmakers will return to Washington Tuesday to consider measures giving unemployed workers in states hit hardest by the recession an additional 13 weeks of funding, and, if approved, unemployed workers could qualify for nearly two years of benefits.

The benefits expansion bill was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich. Drew Hammill, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told the News the economy will determine its fate.

"Clearly, unemployment remains the lagging number in an otherwise improving economy," he said.

"When the federal government keeps spending money it doesn't have, businesses won't be able to borrow the money they need to actually create jobs," Pete Sepp, spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, told the newspaper.