Unemployment Benefits Extension: Harry Reid Rejects yet Another UI Benefits Extension Offer
Republican Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell Offers a Second 30 Day UI Benefits Extension to Save the Unemployed but Democrat Reid Rejects it - Again
With lives - and apparently votes - at stake, the Democrats in the Senate, President Obama, Vice President Biden and a dutifully biased media continue to blame the Republicans for the impasse on the Unemployment Benefits "Extenders" bill and to demonize them for their insensitivity over the plight of the unemployed.
Yet Monday, June 21, brought more evidence that quite the opposite may be true.
Entering the third week of debate and following a series of failed votes on HR-4213, the bill containing the Unemployment Benefits Extension, Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) offered a fully paid for 30-day extension of unemployment benefits in order to restore this critical lifeline to those that have already lost it and to allow those about to exhaust their current unemployment benefits "Tier" to move onto the next. Democrat Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) turned it down.
Sen. McConnell had also made this offer back on June 10, in an effort to prevent the unemployed from losing their benefits while Congress worked its way through the larger bill. Obviously, Democrat Majority Leader Reid turned it down that time as well.
If this were not bad enough, Republican Senator John Thune (R-S. Dakota) had also introduced an amendment to the unemployment benefits "Extenders" bill that fully paid for the provisions of the bill using unused stimulus funds and cuts in federal spending, among other things. This Republican alternative would not only prevent a massive addition to the deficit, as the Democrat bill does, it actually reduced the deficit by over $60 billion, thus overcoming the objections held by Republicans and a number of Democrats (not to mention the American people) alike.
Unfortunately, not wanting to tap unspent stimulus funds or tighten their own belts, and probably reticent to allow Republicans to take credit for passing the bill, liberal Democrats rejected this Republican alternative, leaving the unemployed to suffer. (Read: Democrats Block Benefits Extension)
While Reid and the Democrats continue to try to "spin" the events surrounding Senate negotiations on the Unemployment Benefits "Extenders" bill to make Democrats seem the compassionate heroes and Republicans the uncaring villains, the facts tell a very different story. Remember that it is not only Republicans but a handful of more fiscally conservative Democrats that have held up the passage of the greater bill on very rational concerns over the growing federal deficit. So if Democrats are so concerned about the unemployed, one would think they would exuberantly support the Republicans' proposal to extend unemployment benefits without adding to the deficit - a bill that turns the previously problematic "nay" votes to "yays" while keeping the bulk of the greater bill intact.
The Democrats have now rejected not one, not two, but three opportunities offered by the Republicans to extend unemployment benefits. The way this unemployed person sees it, the Republicans are trying to take care of the unemployed while taking care of the rest of the country at the same time, which is their duty. The Democrats, on the other hand, appear to only be interested in taking care of themselves.
Source:
http://senatus.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/reid-rejects-alternative-extenders-legislation/
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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17 Comments
Post a CommentWhy not use the profits the gov't is receiving selling the stock purchased from organizations that they made billions off of. Seems logical to me for they truly are "unaccounted for" funds and would fall in both parties favor. I know, makes too much sense, it's Washington and no one would come out a winner.
Im just shocked that the people we elect would hurt so many Americans bc they can't agree on the terms. It doesn't matter that during this process so many people will lose things or can't feed their children. Bc when they do decide to pass it they can't get that stuff back. I hope that when elections come that none of those horriable people are reelected. Yes let makes sure they enjoy their 4th of July holiday and not worry about all the people that will be lucky to feed their familys or have a home to live in. Thanks so much!!!!!!!
Remember how fast the stimulus money was voted on...it had to be done immediately or else.
Now it sits unused in a lockbox waiting to be next elections "bribing" stash.
Entering the third week of debate and following a series of failed votes on HR-4213, the bill containing the Unemployment Benefits Extension, Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) offered a fully paid for 30-day extension of unemployment benefits in order to restore this critical lifeline to those that have already lost it and to allow those about to exhaust their current unemployment benefits "Tier" to move onto the next. Democrat Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) turned it down.
That Alex guy below me has posted the same anti-republican thing on every unemployment website I've been too today. This is clearly not just the republicans fault. I'm am an unemployed person about to see my benefits expire, and even I can see that its the same two-sided partisanship that is causing delays in extending our benefits.
Republicans killed the big bill from debt concerns, but offered a few supplemental UI extension bills that were rejected by the Dems. So get off your donkey Alex, and read up, or shut up.
The republican’s weren’t worried about the deficit when that big insurance company and their friends the Wall Street execs were giving themselves bonuses with taxpayer money!!! Next election – let Congress feel the sting of the unemployment lines!!! No more raping and pillaging the middle class!!! – How many years have you paid taxes? 30? 40? Your government bails out bankers and Wall Street execs using your tax dollars – but unemployment is allowed to expire? What happened to "by the people" or "for the people"? Or are the big campaign contributors the only "people" who count to congress? They are playing games AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME while you are wondering how to feed your kids? Figure it out! Malfeasance – Failure of a public official to perform their duties!!! Next Election MAKE YOURSELF MATTER BY VOTING!!! 10% unemployment carries 10% of the vote! Use it!! Fire them all next election or recall every Congress member NOW for Malfeasance – Failure of a public offic
It is easyer for a camel to walk through through the head of a neddle than a rich man to get to heaven.
Why should i work at Burger King when i can collect unemployment. Mitch McConnell would love to work at Burger King if he was qualified.
And this article fell off the web so quick, only a few hours.
I have to search for it.
Some people want to read on both sides, you know.
Not only the propagandised information.
Just to remind those that may not have understood, the Republicans offered the 30 day extension to help the unemployed WHILE working out the entire bill with the extension through November - a band aid, yes, but WHILE continuing with the surgery so we unemployed wouldn't die while they operated. Further, the Republicans also offered a bill that DID extend our benefits through November and which included ALL of our benefits, not removing the $100 a month the Democrats are now suggesting, and they did so by paying for it with unused stimulus funds, etc. We are all for the extension through November because there are no jobs for us yet. But many of us will not make it until this is worked out.