| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Wednesday, June 30, 2010 |
| CONTACT: Leigh Fifelski | (517) 490-1394 |
LANSING – When U.S. Rep. Hoekstra took a day off on Tuesday to campaign for governor, he failed to cast a vote supporting unemployment relief to nearly 90,000 Michigan citizens – and showed that he puts his political ambitions ahead of Michigan families, said citizens group Progress Michigan.
Nearly every member of Michigan’s congressional delegation, including a majority of the Republican delegation, voted in support of the measure, which would have provided relief to unemployed Michigan workers beyond this Friday.
“Michigan’s workers really could have used Pete Hoekstra’s help by showing up for his $174,000-a-year day job and voting to continue unemployment benefits beyond Friday,” said Progress Michigan Executive Director David Holtz. “Instead, Pete Hoekstra took a day off to chase his political ambitions and leave Michigan families behind at a time when they really needed his support. For Pete Hoekstra, the only job that really matters is his next one. That’s not leadership. That’s selfishness.”
Michigan has the nation’s second-highest unemployment rate, at 13.6 percent.