Unemployment Benefits Extenders Bill HR 4213 Passage Possible in Senate Today
Eleventh Hour Deal on Unemployment Benefits Extension Struck by Senators Baucus and Grassley Last Night
Unfortunately, Senators Baucus and Grassley were unable to convince sufficient numbers of their respective parties' Senators to accept the entire bill with the changes noted (below). The "Doctor Fix" was passed unanimously, but Senators on both sides continue to hold out for the entire bill to be further offset rather than add to the deficit. Therefore, the unemployment benefits extension WILL NOT BE VOTED ON TODAY. Further opportunity for a vote on the bill will not occur until next week after all.
This is no time to let down. While many of us are now without benefits, odds are still in our favor that they will be restored. The question is how soon and in what form.
Please continue to contact legislators and implore them to vote for HR 4213 and pass unemployment benefits extensions for the millions of us who have no other means of support AND NO JOBS THAT WE CAN GO TO during this critical time. (See link to Contact list of Legislators at the end of this article.)
Read on to learn of progress that has been made on the broader bill -
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HR 4213, the bill which includes much needed unemployment benefits extensions to the millions of unemployed, has been languishing in the Senate for weeks now. After much debate, the bill failed on Wednesday in a 45-52 vote against. On Thursday, revised and scaled back versions of the bill were introduced but failed cloture (the vote to end debate and go forward with a vote on the bill) in a 40-56 no vote.
By late Thursday, weary Senators were not expected to make enough progress to try to vote on the bill again until next week.
In the meantime, the failure to pass HR 4213 and extend unemployment benefits meant nearly one million more Americans dependent on their unemployment safety net were to lose benefits by the end of this week, adding to those whose unemployment benefits have already been suspended. Another weekend without money to pay bills or feed their families. Another weekend to wait - and worry.
But according to Healthwatch, The Hill's Healthcare Blog:
"The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee reached agreement Thursday evening on a six-month Medicare "doc fix" that could open the way for the provision to pass as early as today, Senate sources tells The Hill."
Senators Baucus (D- Montana) and Grassley (R-Iowa) would then have to explain the deal to their respective party members but were hopeful they could now garner unanimous consent for passage of the broader bill, which includes the unemployment benefits extension for millions of the unemployed who have already or are about to lose their unemployment benefits lifeline.
The Senate was to reconvene at 9:45 Eastern Time this morning and hoped to bring the bill to a vote for the third time early in the day. I don't know about you, but I'll be watching the clock and hitting my knees.
Once passed in the Senate, the bill will have to go back to the House for final passage. This could take another week, but at least the greatest hurdle should be over and it's expected that missed benefits will be repaid retroactively.
I will be updating you throughout the day as more news comes out. In the meantime, we need to stand strong and keep up our efforts to make our case known to Congress. (For a comprehensive contact list of legislators, click here.)
Hopefully, I will have good news for you at next writing. And then the fight for Tier 5 will begin. Neither this recession nor the need for unemployment benefits will be over until every one of us has a job that we can go to.
Source:
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/104061-baucus-grassley-reach-agreement-on-doc-fix?page=2#comments
Published by S Gardner
S. Gardner is a freelance writer and researcher. She has experience as a weight loss and health counselor, a real estate agent, a small business owner and a high school history and civics teacher. She is a... View profile
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- www.associatedcontent.com/article/5493846/unemployment_benefits_extenders_bill.html?c
- HR 4213 which includes the unemployment benefits extensions has failed twice in the Senate.
- Senators Baucus and Grassley may have come to an agreement that will allow HR 4213 to pass.
- Senate to vote again on HR 4213 this morning, extending unemployment benefits.
80 Comments
Post a CommentIs this the United States of America that I loved and grew up with? Here I am at 61, Jobless, no health insurance and they stop unemployment benefits to the needy?What??? Arn't we helping other nations and giving prisoners income tax returns to the tune of 130m. What??? Who is watching over things?
Maybe a revolution is in need to change the BS in Washington. We give more money to the rich and other countries, but do not take care of our own. I am working on a manifesto to recruit members to TAKE A STAND. stay tuned.
need extensions for 99's. NOW. Just about evicted, bills late, and hungry. President move it or lose support.
I can tell every AMERICAN, IF WE GET THE REPUBLICANS BACK IN POWER THE GOOD OL USA IS HISTORY!! They will let the banks,insurance,oil,drug companys do what the hell they want to!I have lost my home, credit cards cell phone! Sure they passed the extention, but all i am going to get is three weeks cause that will be my 86 weeks! I dont understand how they get that the unemploment rate is just 8 percent! I have been looking for work,but there just isnt no openings.We have lost just about everything we have worked for, waiting for them to pass the extention,and now that it passed we have to wait 2 to four weeks that is just so unfair!!!
good people weill do bad things to feed their children and they sit in there and dont care about people that work hard and this is what we get! shame on you and in november you will pay blood suckers
you are a bunch of assholes, i try to find the good in people , no good here. cant wait till novemember to vote..
If this personally affected any of these people in office, they would never have turned it down. They still have their nice cars and big houses and food on their table. Food, what;s that? I have no money, can't find a job and the government tells us to go to our states for help, but they will only give me $16 month in food benefits and I have medical problems and can't get medicaide because there is a freeze on that too. Think about this, why don't you save money by drug testing the people on welfare, then you'll have billions to help the unemployed who actually have worked and paid taxes, we need help now!!
I feel for all of us,BUT this damm people we put in office dont give a crap about us! I just cant beleive they just came vacation and next month for a whole damm month,its just WRONG!!Everybody in washington makes so much money for so little work SO CRAZY.I am like the million of us that are about to loose or lost our homes,cars,and the utillities are getting ready to be shut off!I fell behind on my credit card payments and there charging me unbeleiveable rates. ALL i can say now is this people should not be in office peiod!!
SENATOR….THERE ARE MILLIONS OF UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS WHO ARE VERY ANGRY WITH YOU AND I’M ONE OF THEM !! Delaying the Extension on UI Benefits is outrageous! There are millions of us out here who need help now and look how we are treated! Now we have no money for food, rent or other essential things like phone, paper and ink to apply for a job. And, there are no jobs. I've submitted hundreds of resumes and don't even get a response. I'm trying BUT Congress is NOT and YOU are the cause! This is America, we were founded to help our own, but you politicians have it all twisted with your own politics and games. If you don't do something quick we will all lose everything. We are in dire straits. I'm going to vote for ONLY new candidates in the elections. I'm going to encourage everyone to do the same and maybe you all will then get the message that WE AMERICANS DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING! Be considerate of your fellow Americans, start being responsible and represent the con
I am 60 yrs old, no job, have applied for many, many jobs, but not one interview, no know is interested! I have lost my home,and do to the kindness of a friend, she has given me a "room to live in! Do you know how degrading this is, to be 60, and to feel like a loser? I have worked all my life since I was 15, and now nothing. No money, no food. But yet Congress can go on a week's vacation, and enjoy their families, and eat heartily. Every noght they can enjoy themselves, they are getting paid! How would they like it to be homeless, and no food or money? This is what is happening to millions of us. They are holding our futures in their hands...and we are supposed to be a free country??? Take care of your people first, we are your voters, we pay you to run our country, but yet this is how we are treated? How can they neglect us like this? I used to be proud to be an American, can't say I am at this moment in my life.