- Aug 1, 2004
- 70,048
- 24,226
Senate rejects unemployment extension for 4th time VOL. Republicans is greedy cold blooded bastards
- Aug 1, 2004
- 70,048
- 24,226
- Apr 8, 2009
- 11,939
- 11
While I don't necessarily agree with the decision, there is no real substance to John Lewis' argument. No facts or stats. You can't expect hardened politicians to be swayed by just emotion. Just won't happen, IMO.
- Apr 8, 2009
- 11,939
- 11
While I don't necessarily agree with the decision, there is no real substance to John Lewis' argument. No facts or stats. You can't expect hardened politicians to be swayed by just emotion. Just won't happen, IMO.
- Aug 1, 2004
- 70,048
- 24,226
http://www.huffingtonpost...ils-senate_n_631710.html
The Senate rejected Wednesday -- for the fourth time -- a bill that would have reauthorized extended benefits for the long-term unemployed, by a vote of 58 to 38. Democrats will not make another effort to break the Republican filibuster before adjourning for the July 4 recess.
By the time lawmakers return to Washington, more than 2 million people who've been out of work for longer than six months will have missed checks they would have received if they'd been laid off closer to the beginning of the recession.
Only two Republicans, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, crossed the aisle to support the measure. That gave Democrats 59 of the 60 votes they needed to break the GOP filibuster, but without the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson's nay vote was enough to kill the bill.
(The final tally shows only 58 yea votes due to arcane rules of Senate procedure, which require Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to vote against the bill in order to allow for another vote on it in the future.)
"We will vote on this measure again once there is a replacement named for the late Senator Byrd," Reid said in a statement after the vote. "In the meantime, I sincerely hope that Republicans will finally listen to the millions of unemployed Americans who need this assistance to support their families in these tough times. These Americans and millions more demand that Republicans stop filibustering support for unemployed workers."
Already, more than 1.2 million people out of work for longer than six months have missed checks since federally-funded extended benefits lapsed at the beginning of June.
"Senators had a chance to put election year posturing aside and one too few rose to that challenge," said Judy Conti, a lobbyist for the National Employment Law Project. "It's a sad night, especially for the over one million workers and their families who will have little cause to celebrate this holiday weekend. It is a disgrace and an absolute slap in the face to basic human decency."
During the past several weeks, in an effort to appease deficit hawks, Reid and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) trimmed a broader spending bill that included the benefits among a host of other domestic aid programs. They reduced the bill's 10-year deficit impact from $134 billion to $33 billion -- the cost of reauthorizing extended unemployment benefits through November -- but to no avail.This week, Reid and Baucus pulled out the unemployment benefits as a $33-billion standalone bill, attaching an extension of the homebuyer tax credit, yet it wasn't enough of a sweetener to overcome the deficit demands of most Republicans and Ben Nelson. After the vote, the Senate unanimously consented to the extension of the tax credit, as Reid said would happen if the vote failed.
Though there is some talk within their caucus of offsetting the cost of unemployment benefits to keep them from adding to the deficit, Democratic leaders refused to cave; they argued that because the cost of federally-funded extended benefits has never been offset, deficit neutrality shouldn't suddenly become a requirement for emergency aid.
Republicans offered alternative bills that would have paid for extended benefits with unused stimulus funds. "The only reason the unemployment extension hasn't passed is because our friends on the other side have refused to pass a bill that doesn't add to the debt," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said after the vote.
Republicans and some Democrats are uneasy about the unprecedented duration of benefits made available to the unemployed by last year's stimulus bill and subsequent acts of Congress, which in some states reaches 99 weeks. Without those provisions, layoff victims are currently eligible for only 26 weeks of benefits in most states, while the average unemployment spell is 34 weeks.
Lurking beneath the deficit concerns for some members is the suspicion that the extended benefits discourage people from looking for work -- even though there are five people vying for every available job and a full third of the 15 million unemployed don't actually receive the benefits.
If Congress eventually does reauthorize the aid, people eligible for extended benefits during the lapse will be paid retroactively. Failure to do so would be unprecedented Since the 1950s extended federal benefits have never been allowed to expire with a national unemployment rate above 7.2 percent. The current rate stands at 9.7 percent.
Reid vowed earlier on Wednesday that the Senate would try again. "We're not moving away from this issue," he said. "We'll be back to haunt [Republicans] for what they're doing to people who are in such desperate shape.
- Aug 1, 2004
- 70,048
- 24,226
http://www.huffingtonpost...ils-senate_n_631710.html
The Senate rejected Wednesday -- for the fourth time -- a bill that would have reauthorized extended benefits for the long-term unemployed, by a vote of 58 to 38. Democrats will not make another effort to break the Republican filibuster before adjourning for the July 4 recess.
By the time lawmakers return to Washington, more than 2 million people who've been out of work for longer than six months will have missed checks they would have received if they'd been laid off closer to the beginning of the recession.
Only two Republicans, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, crossed the aisle to support the measure. That gave Democrats 59 of the 60 votes they needed to break the GOP filibuster, but without the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson's nay vote was enough to kill the bill.
(The final tally shows only 58 yea votes due to arcane rules of Senate procedure, which require Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to vote against the bill in order to allow for another vote on it in the future.)
"We will vote on this measure again once there is a replacement named for the late Senator Byrd," Reid said in a statement after the vote. "In the meantime, I sincerely hope that Republicans will finally listen to the millions of unemployed Americans who need this assistance to support their families in these tough times. These Americans and millions more demand that Republicans stop filibustering support for unemployed workers."
Already, more than 1.2 million people out of work for longer than six months have missed checks since federally-funded extended benefits lapsed at the beginning of June.
"Senators had a chance to put election year posturing aside and one too few rose to that challenge," said Judy Conti, a lobbyist for the National Employment Law Project. "It's a sad night, especially for the over one million workers and their families who will have little cause to celebrate this holiday weekend. It is a disgrace and an absolute slap in the face to basic human decency."
During the past several weeks, in an effort to appease deficit hawks, Reid and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) trimmed a broader spending bill that included the benefits among a host of other domestic aid programs. They reduced the bill's 10-year deficit impact from $134 billion to $33 billion -- the cost of reauthorizing extended unemployment benefits through November -- but to no avail.This week, Reid and Baucus pulled out the unemployment benefits as a $33-billion standalone bill, attaching an extension of the homebuyer tax credit, yet it wasn't enough of a sweetener to overcome the deficit demands of most Republicans and Ben Nelson. After the vote, the Senate unanimously consented to the extension of the tax credit, as Reid said would happen if the vote failed.
Though there is some talk within their caucus of offsetting the cost of unemployment benefits to keep them from adding to the deficit, Democratic leaders refused to cave; they argued that because the cost of federally-funded extended benefits has never been offset, deficit neutrality shouldn't suddenly become a requirement for emergency aid.
Republicans offered alternative bills that would have paid for extended benefits with unused stimulus funds. "The only reason the unemployment extension hasn't passed is because our friends on the other side have refused to pass a bill that doesn't add to the debt," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said after the vote.
Republicans and some Democrats are uneasy about the unprecedented duration of benefits made available to the unemployed by last year's stimulus bill and subsequent acts of Congress, which in some states reaches 99 weeks. Without those provisions, layoff victims are currently eligible for only 26 weeks of benefits in most states, while the average unemployment spell is 34 weeks.
Lurking beneath the deficit concerns for some members is the suspicion that the extended benefits discourage people from looking for work -- even though there are five people vying for every available job and a full third of the 15 million unemployed don't actually receive the benefits.
If Congress eventually does reauthorize the aid, people eligible for extended benefits during the lapse will be paid retroactively. Failure to do so would be unprecedented Since the 1950s extended federal benefits have never been allowed to expire with a national unemployment rate above 7.2 percent. The current rate stands at 9.7 percent.
Reid vowed earlier on Wednesday that the Senate would try again. "We're not moving away from this issue," he said. "We'll be back to haunt [Republicans] for what they're doing to people who are in such desperate shape.
- Aug 1, 2004
- 70,048
- 24,226
next time they go back to discuss da extensions is mid july.
- Aug 1, 2004
- 70,048
- 24,226
next time they go back to discuss da extensions is mid july.
- Dec 9, 1999
- 2,148
- 24
If only they released what the long-lasting effects of NOT adding an extension would incur...
Families + no money + no job = a LOT of desperation, and we know what that usually leads to.
Families + no money + no job = a LOT of desperation, and we know what that usually leads to.
- Dec 9, 1999
- 2,148
- 24
If only they released what the long-lasting effects of NOT adding an extension would incur...
Families + no money + no job = a LOT of desperation, and we know what that usually leads to.
Families + no money + no job = a LOT of desperation, and we know what that usually leads to.
- Apr 22, 2010
- 4,837
- 215
I have never seen a law maker blantly say we are the Master and the people are our subjects.
Why are you blaming Republicans? The deciding vote was by a Democrat, who voted "nay".
Why are you blaming Republicans? The deciding vote was by a Democrat, who voted "nay".
- Apr 22, 2010
- 4,837
- 215
I have never seen a law maker blantly say we are the Master and the people are our subjects.
Why are you blaming Republicans? The deciding vote was by a Democrat, who voted "nay".
Why are you blaming Republicans? The deciding vote was by a Democrat, who voted "nay".
- Aug 2, 2008
- 38,876
- 14,890
Because Democrats don't always vote lock step party lines, and Republicans ALWAYS vote lock step in opposition of this president and against the people...
I don't necessarily like 50 out of 59 Senate Democrats but at least they have a difference of opinion as to how to handle a topic.. Where as Republicans have only 1 opinion and 1 idea.. Kill Whatever Bill the Democrats push and then blame them that nothing gets done..
The majority is Democrats fault? THEY DON'T HAVE 60 Senators.. So they need 1 Republican to pass it.. Whose fault is it?
- Aug 2, 2008
- 38,876
- 14,890
Because Democrats don't always vote lock step party lines, and Republicans ALWAYS vote lock step in opposition of this president and against the people...
I don't necessarily like 50 out of 59 Senate Democrats but at least they have a difference of opinion as to how to handle a topic.. Where as Republicans have only 1 opinion and 1 idea.. Kill Whatever Bill the Democrats push and then blame them that nothing gets done..
The majority is Democrats fault? THEY DON'T HAVE 60 Senators.. So they need 1 Republican to pass it.. Whose fault is it?
- Apr 22, 2010
- 4,837
- 215
- Apr 22, 2010
- 4,837
- 215
- Aug 2, 2008
- 38,876
- 14,890
Like I said, why blame the Republicans? This is why this country is in the position it is in, nobody takes repsonsibility for anything. Any mistakes, just blame somebody else. A law doesnt pass, make everybody hate the other party which is controlled by the media.
Only 2 Republicans... 2 Republicans. How many major bills have their been that have been absolutely necessary and have been needed to help people during a time of Recession and how many different senators have given votes to a Democrat bill? And their only reason to vote yes for it was because of geographic location. No other reason. They have to be a tiny bit liberal because they are in the North East... Move them to Nebraska and see that Yea vote turn to Nay...
And why blame Democrats? We would have had it pass if Byrd didn't die... That article says 1 senators Nay vote killed the bill (a Senator a lot of people hate mind you).. Why didn't it say 39 of 41 Republican Nay votes killed the bill.
That's the problem with this country, one party does the work and the other does the opposition... And when the party that does the work is in the minority they actually work with the majority...
- Aug 2, 2008
- 38,876
- 14,890
Like I said, why blame the Republicans? This is why this country is in the position it is in, nobody takes repsonsibility for anything. Any mistakes, just blame somebody else. A law doesnt pass, make everybody hate the other party which is controlled by the media.
Only 2 Republicans... 2 Republicans. How many major bills have their been that have been absolutely necessary and have been needed to help people during a time of Recession and how many different senators have given votes to a Democrat bill? And their only reason to vote yes for it was because of geographic location. No other reason. They have to be a tiny bit liberal because they are in the North East... Move them to Nebraska and see that Yea vote turn to Nay...
And why blame Democrats? We would have had it pass if Byrd didn't die... That article says 1 senators Nay vote killed the bill (a Senator a lot of people hate mind you).. Why didn't it say 39 of 41 Republican Nay votes killed the bill.
That's the problem with this country, one party does the work and the other does the opposition... And when the party that does the work is in the minority they actually work with the majority...
- Mar 31, 2005
- 5,712
- 1,019
Good that the Republicans are arguing against the current unemployment benefits bill. It's not that the Republicans don't want to extend it, they want to use the money not used by the Stimulus bill to pay for it. Democrats however want to just borrow the money which is just dumb.
- Mar 31, 2005
- 5,712
- 1,019
Good that the Republicans are arguing against the current unemployment benefits bill. It's not that the Republicans don't want to extend it, they want to use the money not used by the Stimulus bill to pay for it. Democrats however want to just borrow the money which is just dumb.
703 hwy
Supporter
- Oct 3, 2007
- 27,050
- 18,975
A lot of people are just chilling at home and taking no initiative..
703 hwy
Supporter
- Oct 3, 2007
- 27,050
- 18,975
A lot of people are just chilling at home and taking no initiative..
- Jun 27, 2009
- 6,247
- 18
there is no money to pay for it
- Jun 27, 2009
- 6,247
- 18
there is no money to pay for it
- Mar 26, 2009
- 4,951
- 10
Yet war spending get's passed without question....
