Unemployment extension meeting to happen Thursday on Capitol Hill

The meeting that House GOP leaders said they would have with the two legislators who are pushing for the establishment of a Tier 5 for unemployment insurance that would give an additional 14 weeks of benefits for the long-term jobless will happen on Thursday.

MLive’s Jackie Headapohl reports:

House GOP leaders will meet Thursday, April 7, in Washington DC with Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) to discuss proposed legislation to extend unemployment benefits by 14 weeks for the long-term jobless…

Lee and Scott initially proposed the bill be passed as emergency spending and not subject to pay-go rules. However, Lee sent a letter to GOP leaders last month requesting the meeting to discuss ways to offset the $16 billion cost of the extension in the federal budget in an attempt to get the bill passed by any means necessary.

It still seems unlikely that they will be able to reach any agreement that both sides can support, but at least they’re talking about it.