This week, Democrats in Congress broke a Republican filibuster and passed legislation to extend unemployment benefits. 2.5 million unemployed people will get payments retroactive to the time they stopped receiving benefits. One of those is Michelle Ives, who got her last check in June, and has resorted to desperate measures while she waited for her check (including taking out a 35 percent loan on her car).

While lawmakers are adjourned this week for the July 4th recess, many of the country's millions of unemployed workers await their return for an expected vote on an extension of unemployment insurance benefits. 

I am a highly skilled and experienced project coordinator and was making $20/hour when I got laid off last August. I just turned 46, and have always worked since the time I got my first job at age 15. It makes me very angry when I hear people argue that extending benefits causes unemployed people to stop looking for work.