Congressman John Shimkus voted for final passage of the Unemployment Compensation Extension act Thursday. The bill has already passed the Senate and will now head to President Obama's desk for his signature.

The legislation would effectively extend unemployment benefits from 14 weeks to 20 weeks in states with unemployment rates above 8.5 percent. Shimkus says many policy decisions in Washington are not conducive to job creation, but assistance is needed for those out of work in bad economic climates. He says a proactive move in the bill is the extension of the homebuyer's tax credit. The extension in the credit will run to May 1, 2010.

A homeowner tax credit may also be available to some residents for a maximum 65-hundred dollars, and income limits on tax credits were also expanded.