One-third of the Recovery Act was emergency relief, like increasing unemployment benefits and helping states keep teachers and police officers and firefighters from losing their jobs.

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Barack Obama's proposed American Jobs Act would reauthorise for another year current emergency unemployment benefits, which help to support consumption among the jobless, reducing poverty and propping up demand.

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Finally, as we are moving forward in these areas, we should also extend the relief in the Recovery Act, including emergency assistance to seniors, unemployment insurance benefits, COBRA, and relief to states and localities to prevent layoffs.

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Third, the American Jobs Act of 2011 helps out-of-work Americans by extending unemployment benefits to help them support their families while looking for work, and by reforming the system with training programs that build real skills, connect to real jobs, and help the long-term unemployed.

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