Congress lets unemployment benefits expire: 'What now' and six other questions

Over 2 million unemployed people awoke Wednesday to the prospect that they may no longer have unemployment checks to help them pay rent or buy food and gas.

7. Has there been any effort to help '99ers'?

Alex Brandon/AP
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. (c.) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) of Michigan (l.) walk on Capitol Hill Nov. 16.

Those who have collected the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment but are still out of work saw some moral support last summer.

On August 4, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) of Michigan introduced the Americans Want to Work Act. It would add a Tier 5 with an additional 20 weeks of unemployment, not backdated. The bill is in the Senate Finance Committee, says a member of her staff.

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