On Unemployment, Richard Burr Just Doesn't Get It

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) doesn't understand why unemployment is still an emergency.

Burr says it's "No longer an emergency"

For over 450,000 workers in North Carolina who are unemployed, the emergency is as real as it's ever been. Despite this, Senator Burr has voted repeatedly AGAINST extending unemployment benefits, the only source of income for people who have - through no fault of their own - lost their jobs to the recession.

After his most recent vote against aid for the jobless, in an interview on Monday, Burr explained to Politico why he didn't support extending aid for the jobless: unemployment "is no longer an emergency."

In a press release issued on Tuesday, NC State AFL-CIO President, James Andrews, responded:

“Working families across North Carolina deserve a leader who understands what they’re going through in this tough economy. If Senator Burr really thinks unemployment is ‘no longer an emergency,’ he should ask the thousands of hardworking North Carolinians who have lost their jobs and are actively looking for work if they think this is not an emergency situation for their families. Burr should immediately apologize for his hurtful and out of touch remarks and pledge to support future extensions of jobless aid as needed.”

The full article in which the comments appears is available here.