Stupak to hold town hall meeting Sept. 26 in Negaunee

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- U. S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) will host a town hall meeting from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Negaunee Memorial Gym in Negaunee. The meeting is open to the public and will provide an opportunity for constituents to ask Stupak questions on a range of issues, including health care and the economy. Stupak will also provide an update on his work in Congress.

The Negaunee Memorial Gym is located in Lakeview Elementary School at 200 Croix Street, Negaunee, Mich.

"This is an opportunity to speak with constituents, answer their questions and address their concerns about the critical issues currently impacting Northern Michigan," Stupak said. "I look forward to engaging in a respectful, civil dialogue on a broad range of issues. The concerns, ideas and feedback I receive from constituents -- whether through town hall meetings, letters, emails, telephone calls or personal appearances -- are valuable to me personally and to my work in Congress."

Out of respect for all those wishing to attend the town hall meeting, only credentialed media will be permitted to record the event. Signs, banners and posters will not be allowed inside the school.

Congressman Stupak will also hold his third telephone town hall meeting at 6 p.m. EDT / 5 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009.

Constituents in the First Congressional District who wish to participate in telephone town hall meeting can sign up or receive additional information by visiting www.house.gov/stupak and selecting "E-mail and Telephone Town Hall Sign-Up" or by calling Congressman Stupak’s office at 1-800-950-7371.

Audio from the Congressman inviting constituents to participate in the town hall meeting can be found at http://www.house.gov/list/hearing/mi01_stupak/20090923townhall.mp3.

Stupak votes to extend unemployment benefits: House passes bill

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday, Sept. 22, to provide up to 13 additional weeks of unemployment insurance benefits to workers in high unemployment states who are about to run out of benefits. U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak voted in favor of H.R. 3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, which passed the House 331 to 83.

"With 4,602 people in the First District scheduled to run out of unemployment insurance benefits by the end of the year, this bill is critical to providing much-needed relief to those who are out of work as they continue to try and find jobs," Stupak said. "We have taken some important steps toward putting our economy back on track and we are starting to see some successes in Northern Michigan and across the nation. But this extension will help ensure Michigan workers can provide for their families until the economic stimulus fully takes effect."

H.R. 3548 targets the unemployment benefit extension to those states with a three-month average total unemployment rate at or above 8.5 percent or a 13-week insured unemployment rate of above 6 percent. Michigan’s current three-month average rate is at 15.2 percent. Workers in Michigan will be eligible for an additional 13 weeks of insurance.

This legislation serves a dual role of providing critical unemployment benefits, while also helping to stimulate the local economy. A recent study found that every dollar spent on unemployment benefits generates $1.63 in new economic demand.

H.R. 3548 extends a current federal unemployment tax for an additional year. It also requires better reporting on newly hired employees to reduce unemployment insurance overpayments.

"The people who benefit most from this bill are those who have been hardest hit by our current economic downturn," Stupak said. "I will keep fighting for families in Northern Michigan as we continue work to turn this economy around."