Washington, DC - Another day has passed without the Senate taking action on Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits. While Senators met Jan. 24, no agreements were reached on legislation to address the situation of the 1.3 million workers who have been cut off from benefits for the long term unemployed.

Most Republicans in Congress are hostile to extending the benefits for unemployed workers. When the Democratic leadership in Congress failed to make the EUC benefits a condition for December’s budget deal, they let the unemployed workers down, and now have little leverage to press for the restoration of relief to jobless workers.

A consensus has developed in Congress where both political parties favor cuts to the social safety net and measures that favor the wealthy.