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Congress narrowly averted cutting off federal unemployment insurance to millions of hardworking Americans when it agreed to a stopgap two-month extension just before the holidays. But that extension will expire at the end of February, so Congress still needs to fully renew unemployment insurance through 2012.

That would seem to be a simple task. Yet, as a Congressional conference committee takes it up, House Republicans are expected to push for the kinds of drastic cuts and harsh restrictions contained in their version of H.R. 3630. Those provisions would slash unemployment benefits, with the worst cuts hitting the highest unemployment states, and forcing an early cut-off of UI for nearly 3 million Americans this year. The provisions would also erect harmful new barriers to benefits, making it harder for ordinary Americans to access their unemployment insurance.

The House H.R. 3630 proposals would:

* Slash federal UI by more than half in the highest unemployment states

* Allow mandatory drug testing of unemployment insurance claimants, stigmatizing jobless workers

* Make jobless workers pay for their reemployment services

* Deny benefits to those not fortunate enough to finish high school or GED

* Let states reduce benefits and divert unemployment benefit funds to other uses

Senate and House conference committee members should reject these harmful proposals, and fully renew unemployment insurance for 2012 while providing meaningful reemployment tools to help all unemployed workers—including those who have exhausted federal unemployment insurance.

Send a Message to Congressional conference committee members, Congressional leaders and your Members of Congress. Tell them to fully renew federal unemployment insurance through 2012 – no cuts, no barriers to benefits!

Send your message now!  Start by entering your full address—and be sure to include St., Rd. or Ave, etc in the address field.  Then click "Participate" to send your message to Congress.

Thank you.