Ask the Labor Secretary tomorrow

[Cocoa]

Elaine Chao to host "Ask the White House"

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/

Labor Secretary Elaine Chao will discuss her recent trip to Iraq and the role of women in the new Iraqi government tomorrow at 10:30am (Eastern Time).

[Cocoa]

1. my question

I'm 0 for about 10 in getting an answer from "Ask the White House", but I never give up...


Welcome back to the U.S., Secretary Chao. I hope you don't mind if I ask a question about the U.S. labor situation. Iraq is important, but the U.S. is a little more "close to home" for me.

Will the president call for Congress to renew the extension of unemployment benefits, which the majority prevented a vote on?

I recently read an article that said that the rate of long term unemployment is the highest since the early years of the Reagan administration. Does the President agree with me that this makes cutting off benefits especially painful?

How much does this extension cost, anyway? I would think it would be a fraction of what we will be spending on Iraq, but that's hard to say since the President didn't put the Iraq cost in the budget.

Thank you.