Oregon’s Senators Merkley and Wyden joined 27 other colleagues in calling for year-round renewal of unemployment benefits. The Senators wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, asking that unemployment continue with full federal funding.
With the nation's unemployment stuck at nearly 10%, that means that 15 million Americans remain out of work. According to the economic policy institute, an extension of the federally funded benefits would create 723,000 jobs and increase the gross domestic product by .7%.
