Obama Wants to Pressure Republicans to Extend Unemployment Benefits After Signing Bill Ending Them

Contortion politics

President Obama will meet on Tuesday in Washington with some long-term unemployed Americans, as the White House ramps up pressure on Congress to extend unemployment insurance benefits that expired for 1.3 million Americans last week.

The White House's announcement of Tuesday's event where Obama will press for the extension of the benefits came Friday as Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee released a report saying the expiration of federal unemployment insurance has already taken more than $400 million out of the economy.