Alexander Statement on Unemployment Benefits Vote

WASHINGTON, April 7 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on his vote against Democratic legislation that would extend unemployment benefits without considering Republican proposals to help unemployed Americans:

“This bill does not contain a single proposal to help grow the economy or encourage hiring. Republicans have many good ideas for helping the 10.5 million unemployed Americans find a job, but the Democratic leader has cut off amendments and debate on all of them.”

He added: “We need to jumpstart our slow economy by liberating the free enterprise system, replacing long-term unemployment insurance with job training, and using existing federal education dollars to give low-income families the chance to choose a better school.”

Alexander pointed to the Workforce Investment Act of 2013, bipartisan legislation that would provide approximately $145 million for job training in Tennessee, and was passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, of which Alexander is the lead Republican. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a more streamlined version of the Senate legislation earlier this year that would consolidate 35 federal programs and create a single Workforce Investment Fund.

He introduced the Scholarships for Kids Act, which would create $2,100 scholarships out of existing federal education dollars to follow 11 million low-income children to schools they attend.

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