www.foreffectivegov.org You've heard the story many times about good people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, and find their lives turned upside down. That's Debra's story, too. She's a vivacious 48-year-old single mother who's worked all of her life, up until one year ago. What's different about Debra is that in addition to looking for a job and trying to retrain for a new career, she's become an advocate for millions of others just like her. Debra had been in sales at a small family-owned kitchen and bath business in West Texas, but within a year both owners died and the heirs laid off most of the staff. She knew she had the skills and energy to be a good employee, but she couldn't even get an interview for another job. "I didn't realize it was this bad until it affected me," said Debra, who asked that her last name be omitted. "I want to work. If you've been looking every day for six months, you have to have good work ethic." No More Extended Federal Aid Like millions of others, she signed up to receive unemployment benefits, which helped her make ends meet. She checked online and found out that she was eligible for 99 weeks of benefits -- or so she thought. Texas paid the first 26 weeks, and then federal emergency benefits kicked in. But after just one week, the checks stopped coming. Congress had cut the aid to 73 weeks and at the end of 2013 eliminated federal aid altogether. Online, she found many others in her same predicament. "This issue found us," said Katherine McFate, CEO of the Center for Effective Government. "People started sending us their stories, and we became their voice."
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