Friends,

Unless Congress acts by tomorrow, 80,000 Gulf Coast workers unemployed because of hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be cut off from their jobless benefits on June 4th. Members of Congress leave Washington tomorrow for a ten day vacation. It would be shameful for them to allow thousands of struggling families who've lost everything to be cut-off from assistance in the middle of it.

I just joined ColorofChange.org in calling on Congress to reinstate survivors' benefits and wanted to invite you to do the same. It takes only a moment.

www.colorofchange.org/protect/

Tens of thousands of Katrina survivors have been provided with no opportunity to return home and rebuild and are still struggling to find housing and jobs in their new communities. To end their meager unemployment benefits -- which pay $104 a week, on average – would be heartless and wrong. The money for these benefits has already been set aside – it just needs to be re-authorized by Congress.

We shouldn't have to ask Congress to extend these benefits, but apparently we do. Please join me.

www.colorofchange.org/protect/

Thanks.