Danville Residents Attend White House Press Conference on Extending Emergency Unemployment Benefits

Danville, VA--For 1.3 million unemployed Americans, the end of the year brought an end to federal emergency unemployment aid. But Tuesday, President Obama asked Congress to extend the benefits.

Some locals were at the President's press conference. The Danville chapter of the group, Virginia Organizing, were invited to the press conference. They said it was important that Southside be heard in Washington, especially with Danville having a higher unemployment than the rest of the state, on average.
Ebony Guy is a Virginia Organizing volunteer. She said she left the news conference very hopeful.The Senate passed a bill yesterday approving an extension for the federal unemployment benefits for three months, and now it's up to the House.
Guys said some unemployed people at the news conference told their stories that reinforced just how important these benefits are.
"The President introduced a woman at the beginning of the press conference. Two of her sons are actually overseas and she has to keep the heat down so low to keep the cost down and she actually bundles up with a hat and coat just to keep her utilities down," said Guy.
The bill the Senate passed on Tuesday would cost $6 billion.