At today’s Human Resources Subcommittee hearing on assessing the president’s proposals to help the long-term unemployed, members of the subcommittee heard testimony from their colleagues in Congress, the U.S. Department of Labor, and other State and private sectors experts as well as a current unemployment benefit recipient.

In the opening Member panel, Senator Wyden (D-OR) commended the Subcommittee for holding the hearing, saying he wanted to help find a bipartisan solution to get the unemployed “off the treadmill” of jobless benefits and unemployment.  He proposed providing States more flexibility over unemployment benefit funds, specifically to operate more self employment assistance programs.  Provisions offering this sort of new flexibility were included in the “JOBS Act” (H.R. 1745) that the Ways and Means Committee approved on May 11, 2011.

In commenting on the hearing, Chairman Davis said: “Today’s hearing offered our Subcommittee members a chance to review the President’s jobs proposals designed to help the unemployed, and provide additional insight on where we may be able to find some common ground.  I plan to work with my colleagues and the Administration to assemble the best ideas to help people trade unemployment checks for paychecks.”