For Immediate Release: January 16, 2014

Petersburg, Va.—In response to the U.S. Senate’s recent failure to support the unemployed with the vote not to extend unemployment insurance benefits, Virginia Organizing Chairperson Sandra A. Cook released the following statement:

“Virginia Organizing is very disappointed that the U.S. Senate would deny 1.5 million unemployed people a chance to continue to pay their rent or mortgages, feed their families, and pay their bills.  It is undemocratic that a minority in the U.S. Senate can stop a bill from moving forward, especially when so much is on the line.”

"This is not what America is about. We have always taken great pride in being a country that lends a hand when our friends and family are down. Congress is going on vacation right after this reckless assault on working families and the economy.

“Failure to extend unemployment insurance will cost the economy an estimated 240,000 jobs this year alone.

“We are grateful that Virginia’s U.S. Senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both voted to support the unemployed.”

To interview a spokesperson for Virginia Organizing, please contact Joe Szakos at (434) 981-0855 or szakos@virginia-organizing.org.

Virginia Organizing is a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization that brings people together to create a more just Virginia. 

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