You Did It! Congress Passes Payroll Tax Cut Without UI Education Requirements
-Take 5 Minutes and Thank Congress Today
By Phone or Email | Via Facebook | Via Twitter | Blog About It! | Resources
Congress passed the $150B payroll tax holiday compromise on Friday, February 17, (293-132 in the House; 60-36 in the Senate), extending a tax cut for millions of Americans and jobless benefits through the end of the year.
The bill did not include education requirements which would have denied unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to any worker who lacks a high school diploma or its equivalent and is not enrolled in classes to earn one—regardless of how long the person worked or whether he or she has access to adult education.
You did it! You helped to keep the UI extension focused on what it was intended for—to help those who have lost work through no fault of their own maintain their benefits with few strings attached. The measure went to the President and on February 22, he signed it into law.
Now it’s time to take 5 and thank those in Congress who voted to pass the payroll tax holiday.
How did your Members of Congress vote?
• House Vote on Passage of HR 3630
• Senate Vote on Passage of HR 3630
Send them a quick email here, or thank them via Twitter or Facebook. Use the sample posts below or create your own.
Thanking them now not only shows appreciation when legislators hear you. It also demonstrates that you are watching and you are a resource to them for your cause.
 1. Call or write your U.S. Representative and Senators today. (Take action through NCL's Facebook page for greater impact.)
2. Tell them “Thank you for passing a UI extension plan without requiring a HS diploma or its equivalent in order to maintain UI benefits."
3. Use 1-2 of the suggested talking points below that resonate most with your experience. Share local waiting list data, if applicable. Personalize the letter. Staffs do not trust the authenticity of form letters.
Sample TY Letter Talking Points:
- Thank you for passing an unemployment insurance (UI) extension without requiring a HS diploma or its equivalent in order to maintain UI benefits.
- I believe that all eligible workers should receive UI regardless of their education level.
- While policies should recognize the importance of adult literacy and strive to increase access to adult education and family literacy programs, a GED requirement in a UI extension as it was proposed would not increase access; it would have only created a much greater demand without providing the resources needed to meet the increased demand.
- Adult education programs struggle to meet the current demand and are severely under-resourced.
- Here are links to fact sheets on adult education that you may find useful:
- I look forward to working with you in the days and months ahead on public policy issues that impact undereducated adults, such as the need for funding to clear waiting lists in adult education programs and reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act in order to help adult education programs be as responsive as possible to 21st century educational needs.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
 Post on Your U.S. Representative’s and Senators’ Facebook Walls
Via Facebook:
- Go to your House Member's Facebook page and click the ‘Like’ button at the top.
- Then post this message to his or her wall: “Thank you for passing a UI extension plan without requiring a HS diploma or its equivalent in order to maintain UI benefits. I do believe adult education is critical to our nation’s economic success. Please support funding for adult education and increase it to help clear waiting lists.”
 Tweet to Your Members of Congress
Via Twitter:
- Search to see if your U.S. Representative and Senators are on Twitter. Follow them.
- Then send a tweet like this, using the #FairUI hashtag:
(@insert your House Member's or Senator’s Twitter handle) Thank you for passing a UI extension without education requirements! #AdultEd #FairUI
For example:
@SenSherrodBrown Thank you for passing a UI extension without education requirements! #AdultEd #FairUI
 Blog About It!
Take this blog posting and cross post it on your blog, with a cross link to the National Coalition for Literacy as the source. Or adapt it to fit your circumstance. Add your program or community data about adult education and make it your own.
Stay Involved
Learn more about social media strategies and tips. Visit our Connect Page for more information.
Sign up to receive future email alerts or text messages from the National Coalition for Literacy about actions needed for adult education and family literacy.
Rationale:
Adult educators understand the necessity of an education—it helps adults get and keep jobs with family sustaining wages and lead richer, fuller lives. But what is not acceptable is to demand that those whose employers have effectively contributed to the system for years through the payment of UI taxes —and who then were laid off due to no fault of their own—be denied UI on the basis of their education level. It is at best, mean-spirited and at worst, unjust.
Unlike other policies that open doors to adult education in order to boost education levels and help individuals attain self-sufficiency, this provision also offers no funding to assist unemployed worked obtain a GED credential. As such, this requirement is an unfunded mandate on an already overburdened system.
If this proposed provision were in the best interests of adults and families, additional funding and much needed supports would be put into place simultaneously focused on opening the doors to more adult education programs. As it stands, this UI provision is the wrong policy needed at a time when we really should be trying to do all that we can to help adults get back to work. Its intent is punitive and goes against meaningful adult education reform. You’ve helped to turn this around!
Resources
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