Prefiled 1/9/2004. Read first time 01/12/2004.   Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, Over the past few years, the national economy has struggled unsuccessfully to rebound from the recession, and a strong and sustainable recovery remains elusive; and
     WHEREAS, There are two million four hundred thousand fewer jobs today than when the recession began; and
     WHEREAS, In November 2003, long-term joblessness reached a twenty-year high, and nearly one-fourth of the unemployed have been out of work for at least half a year; and
     WHEREAS, In November 2003, the nation's unemployment rate remained at five and nine-tenths percent, and Washington's unemployment rate was among the highest in the country at six and eight-tenths percent; and
     WHEREAS, Congress and the President originally approved temporary extended unemployment compensation to provide assistance to unemployed workers who were unable to find new jobs before exhausting their regular benefits, and to stimulate the economy by injecting dollars directly into local communities; and
     WHEREAS, Unemployed workers in most states could receive up to thirteen weeks of federal temporary extended unemployment compensation; and
     WHEREAS, Unemployed workers in states suffering from severe economic distress such as Washington could receive up to twenty-six weeks of federal temporary extended unemployment compensation; and
     WHEREAS, Congress adjourned without providing for a further extension of unemployment compensation benefits after December of 2003; and
     WHEREAS, Across the nation, more than one million unemployed workers are expected to exhaust their regular benefits in the first quarter of 2004; and
     WHEREAS, In Washington, more than twenty-five thousand unemployed workers are expected to exhaust their regular benefits in the first quarter of 2004; and
     WHEREAS, These unemployed workers are left with few, if any, job prospects or other means of assistance; and
     WHEREAS, Federal temporary extended unemployment compensation benefits helped these hard-working people and their families put food on the table and pay their bills while they looked for work; and
     WHEREAS, Federal temporary extended unemployment compensation injected cash into troubled economies throughout the nation and in Washington; and
     WHEREAS, The economic and labor market conditions that warranted federal temporary extended unemployment compensation still persist; and
     WHEREAS, If federal temporary extended unemployment compensation benefits are not extended, workers and their families will suffer severe economic hardships and states such as Washington will be deprived of this crucial economic boost;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress and the President extend and make retroactive the federal temporary unemployment compensation program.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Secretary of the Department of Labor, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.