Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District signed on to the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2013 (H.R. 3546) today to extend unemployment benefits for one year. Unless Congress acts, 17,600 unemployed workers in Nevada will lose their unemployment benefits on December 28, and an additional 21,900 will lose their benefits over the first half of next year.

“With Nevada’s unemployment rate at 9.3 percent, it would be irresponsible and reckless to cut unemployment benefits for those already struggling to make ends meet. Allowing this program to expire would also cause significant damage to our economy and cost Nevada nearly 3,000 jobs,” said Congresswoman Titus. “I’m proud to cosponsor this legislation to protect the thousands of Nevadans who will lose this critical lifeline if Congress fails to act in time.”

The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2013 would extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program and related provisions for one year. Since 2008, the EUC program has provided additional federal funding for unemployment insurance to address the problem of long-term unemployment created by the recession. Cutting this program would negatively affect over 3 million Americans and impede the economic recovery. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that allowing the EUC program to expire in December would cost the nation’s economy 310,000 jobs.