2010 Senate Recess; 11 More Days of Agony for Jobless Americans

The 2010 Senate recess in July is just pumping more agony into the hearts of jobless Americans. The Senate completely dropped the ball on the 2010 Unemployment Benefits Extension. Democrats proposed different variations of bills that were rejected by Republicans. Time after time the Republicans blocked the Democrat legislation with filibusters. Now the Senate is headed for yet another recess in 2010. This time it is the July 4 Senate recess which will span 10 days.

What happens now? Jobless Americans will have to wait for any such Unemployment Funds until the middle of July at the very least. The timing for this recess is absolutely horrible. But don't blame the Senator's vacation- blame the Senators. The United States Senate has mishandled this entire issue from the day they stepped back foot into the chambers. Democrats have proposed such broad legislation that it didn't appease Republicans who wanted everything paid for. Republicans refused to give an inch unless all money was accounted for. Both the Democrats and Republicans have leveraged this issue to push their own respective political agendas during an election year. It's completely inappropriate that these politicians would use this issue as a way to campaign when there are innocent people being destroyed.

The lack of empathy from the United States Senate is hard to believe. Why wouldn't this legislation have come to some sort of a compromise in the one month they have had to work on it? It's absolutely ridiculous that the United States Senate had the power to determine the fate of 1.7 million people. 1.7 million people having their livelihood determined by a fickled, childish group of 100 politicians.It just doesn't make any sense. Our political system needs to be overhauled to fix this problem. This should absolutely never happen again. It should have never happened this time. When the economy tanks, the Senate will be the chamber to blame. Don't blame just Republicans or Democrats. Blame the entire United States Senate for failing to compromise and get past their own egos and party issues.

Innocent people, who have lost unemployment through no fault of their own, are being hurt. Hurt why? Because the United States Senate wants to "play" politics at the worst possible time. How this issue was not resolved in a month is beyond me and the 1.7 million other people affected by this. It's a tragedy. It's insane. But yet the Senate members still go on vacation as if nothing happened.

Why isn't this seen as a criminal act? Why isn't this referred to as a version of political terrorism? These politicians are holding the Unemployment Benefits hostage that we have paid into for years. They are the only ones who had this decision and the chance to make things right for so many people.

The United States Senate has failed at the most inopportune time. I would be embarrassed to call myself a "Senator" if I was part of that overall decision. Never before has the United States denied extended unemployment during a time of emergency like this. Yet this particular group of United States Senators believe they are the ones to set this particular precedent? It just doesn't make any sense. 8 monkeys, 10 giraffes, four zebras, 2 skunks and a porcupine could have come to a quicker and more effective decision. A group of kindergartners could have figured out that by not approving this legislation many people are going to be hurt. Why did our Senate then completely miss the boat?