Granholm: Michiganders Stand To Lose In U.S. Senate Standoff

<p><em><a href="mailto:lweber@mprn.org">By Laura Weber</a></em></p> <p>In Michigan, 87,000 people will lose unemployment benefits next week, unless the U.S. Senate resolves a partisan standoff. </p> <p>The number of Michiganders losing their unemployment benefits would double within a month, and balloon to more than 400,000 by the end of the year. </p> <p>"That's a huge number of people, not just in Michigan, but across the country," says Governor Granholm. "That's why, in no uncertain terms, we're strongly urging the Senate Republicans to reconsider this, because it will hurt people."</p> <p>Granholm's upset that not one Republican member of the U.S. Senate voted for an extension of unemployment benefits. </p> <p>"It's extremely callous. "And let me just say that in addition to the unemployment benefits that are affected and the people who are affected by that, in addition to that this means for Michigan's own budget this means another $500 million dollar hole."</p> <p>That budget hole is because Medicaid funds are also stalled by the stand-off. Without that money Granholm says the state would have to make cuts that were previously unthinkable.</p>