For at least one group of Americans, there’s nothing to celebrate when it comes to the budget deal announced by Representative Paul Ryan and Senator Patty Murray on December 10. The deal does not include an extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, meaning that the long-term unemployed stand to lose the benefits that could be their only bulwark against extreme poverty if Congress doesn’t act before leaving for its holiday break.

Democrats could still pass the EUC extension in a stand-alone bill or add-on to the budget. Join The Nation and Daily Kos in calling on Congress to salvage the benefits of those who need them the most. Contact your representative now and tell them to extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. To amplify your voice, call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.

John Nichols explains why we shouldn’t be excited by Congress’s “cruel, irresponsible and dysfunctional budget deal.”

Earlier this week, Chris Hayes talked to Heather Boushey of the Center for Equitable Growth and Representative Jerry Nadler about the importance of unemployment benefits and the likelihood of Congress doing the right thing.