Millions of hardworking Americans will be cut off from the emergency lifeline of federal unemployment insurance, unless Congress acts to fully renew the program before it expires at the end of February.

Congress has never cut back or allowed these programs to expire when unemployment was anywhere near this high for this long.

Yet, as a Congressional conference committee takes it up, House Republicans have pushed for drastic benefit cuts and harsh new requirements — slashing federal unemployment insurance by more than half in the highest unemployment states, and stigmatizing jobless workers with mandatory drug testing.

Their plan would erect harmful new barriers to benefits, making it harder for ordinary Americans to access their unemployment insurance.

Please enter your information on nelp.org, including your phone number. You will receive a call, hear a brief message and then you will be connected to your Members of Congress.

Tell your Members of Congress: Reject Cuts and Harsh Barriers to Unemployment Insurance Benefits — Fully Renew Unemployment Insurance Through 2012 Now! You can refer to the sample script on nelp.org - click here.

Or you can call 888-245-3381 to connect with those Members.

Sample talking points:

Hello, my name is ______________ and I am ________________’s constituent from ____________.

I am calling to urge _______________ to support swift action to fully renew federal unemployment insurance through 2012, and to oppose cuts and harmful barriers to benefits.

Please tell _____________ to urge Congressional conference committee members to reject reckless cuts and harsh barriers to unemployment insurance benefits — and fully renew unemployment insurance through 2012 now. Thank you.

Truthfully, any layoff is bad news. The recent layoff of over 300 Nassau County Civil Service workers is even more disturbing. Job loss and seeking re-employment is not as easy task; However for the recently laid off civil service workers, the task of re-employment will be even more difficult.

Many readers may not realize that government workers are not subject to some of the rights and privileges those who work in the private sector are accustomed to. In a recent Newsday article, one of the writers called this layoff a lose-lose scenario. Here are some of the reasons why it will be far more difficult for the recently laid off employees to find re-employment:

1): Most Businesses in the private sector are covered by the WARN act. The WARN act requires that employers give their employees a 60 day notice if a major layoff is to take place. During that 60 day period, those affected by a layoff can write or update their resumes and begin a job search. Nassau County Employees are not covered under the WARN act, and as a result had little chance to prepare…

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