Unemployment Benefits "Extenders" Bill Another Step Closer to Passing

Talks Continue; The Unemployment Benefits Extensions Provisions Could Be Voted on Separately

S Gardner, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Jun 21, 2010 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

The Senate seems to be moving, one step at a time, closer to passage of a bill extending unemployment benefits for millions of hurting and frightened Americans.

After weeks of wrangling and a series of failed votes, the unemployment benefits "extenders" bill was rumored to be stalling in the Senate. However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has confirmed today that talks will go on and that they may be making some progress.

As of this writing, there is finally talk on both sides of the aisle of bifurcating the unemployment benefits extension provisions from the broader "extenders" bill. This was done last week for the "doctor fix" sections which went on to pass by unanimous consent of both parties.

Further, while a cloture vote on a modified version of the unemployment benefits "extenders" bill failed by just four votes last week, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Virg) was absent for that vote but will vote "yay" when needed. And now, Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn) has also agreed to change his vote, at least for cloture, to a "yay" vote should his vote be necessary. As Lieberman had been staunchly against this bill without greater progress being made toward reducing it's impact on the budget and deficit, it is uncertain whether his agreement to a yes on cloture will translate to a yes on the bill. Still, it can be counted as at least a sign of softening.

Ultimately, both of these votes as well as two others from the Republican side will be needed to pass the bill. The Democrats and several liberal interest groups in Maine have been putting pressure on moderate "Rino" Republicans Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to get them to acquiesce. These four votes could put the bill over.

But more ideally, if the Senate agrees to pull the unemployment benefits extension provisions from the broader bill and can come to agreement on a way to fund it, the vast majority of Senators from both sides of the aisle should be enthusiastic to vote for it. The Republicans have repeatedly stated their desire to fund unemployment extensions and have even provided amendments showing the way to fully fund even the larger bill. (Read "Democrats Block Benefits Extension") Perhaps the Democrats will be more willing to employ some of those deficit reducing strategies to the bifurcated issue.

Should that happen, and the unemployment benefits extension finally pass through Congress, millions of Americans, myself included, will breath a collective sigh of relief.

Source:

http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/1930--Latest-on-the-Unemployment-Tax-Extenders-Bill

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

Unemployment Benefits Extenders bill still on the table.
Unemployment Benefits Provisions may be separated from the broader bill for a vote.
Several more Senators may now be willing to vote for the Unemployment Extenders bill.

A Republican bill to fully fund unemployment benefits extensions as well as the majority of the rest of the "Extenders" bill using unallocated stimulus funds and cutting government spending was shot down by the Democrats.

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Unemployment Benefits "Extenders" Bill Another Step Closer to Passing

Talks Continue; The Unemployment Benefits Extensions Provisions Could Be Voted on Separately

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