EDITORIAL: The Senate should extend unemployment benefits

As members of Congress get back to work this week, they should show some compassion for people who don't have a job. The nation is setting records for long-term joblessness, so extending unemployment benefits should be the first order of business. About 2 million people have exhausted their benefits since late May, when the emergency compensation program expired. The House has passed an extension, but it's stalled in the Senate by a fight over deficits.

Red ink is a problem. It would be good for the economy if Congress did something concrete to signal that it's serious about containing the deficit - like clarifying what will happen on taxes in January. But rejecting a $34-billion, six-month extension of jobless benefits isn't serious deficit reduction.

About $7 of every $10 Washington spends goes to the military, homeland security and entitlements like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Unless Congress is willing to scale back in those areas, raise taxes or both, stern talk about deficit reduction is just election-year bluster.

But the best deficit fighter of all is economic growth. And while stimulus is a dirty word to some, unemployment compensation is generally spent quickly, increasing demand for goods and services. And when demand rises, companies hire. While the impact won't be huge in a $14-trillion economy, the small stimulus will still help those without work get through these hard times. hN