2010 Unemployment Extension - Stabenow Standalone Unemployment Extension Could Be Introduced Today

2010 Unemployment Extension - Over 1.2 million jobless Americans have seen their unemployment benefits disappear over the past few weeks. Senate wrangling over the broader "American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010" or "Tax Extenders" bill, which included unemployment benefits extensions provisions, resulted in a failed 57-41 vote last Thursday. Sixty yes votes are necessary for passage.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) immediately proposed for the third time a paid for temporary extension standalone to help the unemployed while the broader bill was being negotiated, but Democrats rejected the offer again. (Read: "Democrats Reject Another Republican Offer for Temporary Benefits Extension")

The day after the "Tax Extenders" bill and the Republicans' temporary extension failed, another Republican, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) pleading with him to bring a standalone unemployment benefits extension bill to the floor. Whether that standalone bill would have been paid for or not, it would have, at last, had opportunity to pass as Republican Senators Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, were said to be on board and Senator Joe Lieberman, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats but had also been a previous no vote, had agreed to vote yes if his would be the deciding vote.

Unfortunately, Reid's initial reaction to Senator Snowe's request was no, preferring to allow the unemployed to suffer on without benefits for weeks or months until our cries were enough to force the Republicans to vote for the entire bill, including many other objectionable provisions, in order to help the unemployed.

As of today, however, a previously ignored standalone unemployment extension bill may have a shot at making it to the floor of the Senate.

Senator Debbie Stabenowe (D-Michigan) is said to intend to introduce the bill today. This unemployment benefits extension, unlike the Democrats' most recent modified "Tax Extenders" bill, should include the $25 per week stimulus addition, a welcome note for the unemployed as those $100 mean far more to us than anyone not having to make due on so little can possibly imagine.

Senator Stabenowe's unemployment extension bill, however, is not paid for. As mentioned earlier, with the addition of Senators Snowe, Collins and Lieberman, the votes may have been there to pass an unemployment extension bill without offsets when Snowe first wrote the letter to Reid in favor of it. At that time, the Democrats were just three votes shy of the needed 60 votes for passage of the broader "Extenders" bill.

Alas, what a difference a day makes.

As you may have heard, Senator Robert Byrd (D-W. Virginia) passed away this morning at roughly 3:00 a.m. At 92, Senator Byrd was the Senate's oldest living statesman and had served longer than any Senator in U.S. History.

Unfortunately, with Senator Byrd's passing, the Democrats are yet another vote short of the 60 they will need to pass the unemployment benefits extension. While a replacement will be appointed, it is unlikely this can be done in time for the vote on this bill. Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) is also a no vote, holding out for fully offset legislation. So now, passage of Senator Stabenow's bill will require not two but three Republican votes as well as Senator Lieberman's. As of this writing, that is not likely, unless the bill that is introduced is "offset' or paid for.

So ... Here we go again. Crossing our fingers and saying our prayers.

Sources:

http://www.mlive.com/michigan-job-search/index.ssf/2010/06/michigan_sen_debbie_stabenow_to_introduc.html

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/28/2049872/robert-byrd-senates-elder-statesman.html