Congressman Connie Mack voted against a bill to extend unemployment benefits by 13 weeks in states with a jobless rate of more than 8.5 percent.
Statewide, unemployment is at 10.7 percent. Lee County’s rate — the heart of Mack’s district — has a rate of 13.5 percent.
Although Mack, a Republican, voted against the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009, it passed the House with 331 to 83 votes. Eighteen individuals did not vote last Wednesday when the measure was considered.
Stephanie DuBois, press secretary for Mack said, “There’s no doubt that recovering from this economic recession will continue to take time and many American families face significant challenges. They are searching for new opportunities and the hope that we will shed these troubled times.
“However, last week’s vote would extend unemployment insurance to an unprecedented 92 weeks; that’s nearly two years for a program that is designed to serve as a temporary transitional benefit for workers,” she said about Mack’s vote against the Extension Act.
“Instead of continuously having the government throw more money at our economic problems, let’s look to the American people and businesses to jumpstart our economy,” DuBois said. “That is where real economic growth and opportunity lie.”
According to data released on Friday, Sept. 18, Lee County’s unemployment rate continued to struggle for the month of August with 13.5 percent, compared to the previous months 13.3 percent.
A prepared statement released by the state of Florida on Friday, Sept. 18, stated that unemployment reached 10.7 percent statewide representing 984,000 people without work, which was nearly unchanged from the previous months 10.8 percent.
Florida is currently 1 percent higher than the national unemployment rate of 9.7 percent.
The extension still needs Senate approval.