February 10, 2012
This Week in Washington: Unemployment Benefits Reform Act
This week, I introduced a bill called the Unemployment Benefits Reform Act of 2012 which would individuals who have been unemployed for six months or more to complete 20 hours of public service and 20 hours of active job search or other work related activities per week as conditions for receipt of federal extended unemployment benefits. The United States economy is suffering, and we are experiencing record levels of sustained unemployment. Being unemployed for an extended length of time can be demoralizing for people looking for work, but engagement in volunteer service will encourage unemployed workers to maintain job skills, marketability, and a sense of self-worth while providing for the betterment of their communities. Even more, the active job search requirement will enhance the integrity of the unemployment system and its ability to identify and serve those most in need.
Public service may be fulfilled by working for a 501( c ) (3) organization or a federal, state or local agency, and the bill protects government workers from displacement by only permitting volunteering with a governmental agency when permitted by current law. However, with nearly 13 million unemployed Americans and potentially limited opportunities for voluntary service, states would have the discretionary power to waive the requirement for individuals who had made a concerted effort to volunteer. In addition, unemployed individuals may be exempt from the public service requirement due to illness, family emergency, or if they are unable to perform public service due to child care responsibilities or lack of transportation.
Work related activities include subsidized private sector employment; subsidized public sector employment; work experience (including work associated with the refurbishing of publicly assisted housing); on-the-job training; job readiness assistance; vocational educational training, education directly related to employment, receiving a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency; and providing child care services to an individual who is participating in a community service program.
Not only will this bill improve the stability of our unemployment system, it will also keep the morale, and more importantly, the employability, as high as possible for those looking for work.
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
On Thursday, I signed on as a cosponsor of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012, a bill introduced by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) that would repeal the recent mandate under the President’s health care law that violates religious liberties and conscience rights of faith-based institutions by forcing them to offer employees insurance coverage for contraception free of charge. This mandate is an example of the White House’s complete disrespect for religious beliefs, which has deeply offended many Americans and institutions who do not want to have to choose between providing health insurance for their employees and abandoning the religious beliefs and morals they hold dear.
Religious liberty is one of the most valued freedoms upon which this nation was founded, and I hope that President Obama will reverse this unprecedented federal mandate that conflicts with long-standing religious freedoms and conscience protections.
http://burr.senate.gov/public/
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