As efforts continue on Capitol Hill to restore extended unemployment benefits to millions of Americans, on Wisconsin Congressman is questioning whether it’s a good idea.
U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) says there’s data showing the move will actually enhance long term unemployment in the country. Ryan says he’s concerned encourages people to pass on jobs they normally would take, even if they don’t like them, simply because they can continue to collect benefits instead while they wait for another job to come along.
Ryan says there was an 11th hour request to include an extension during the federal budget talks, but it was left out because he did not see a way to pay for the plan. “We didn’t see it as a credible thing to do, because we there was no way of paying for it. There were plenty of ways to cut spending elsewhere to pay for it, but no one proposed that.”
The Janesville Republican says the real answer is to grow the economy and create better jobs, which he argues the federal government has done a miserable job of trying to do. Ryan says that’s a far better solution than “extending unemployment benefits for the 13th time.”
WRJN