Unemployment Extensions NOT Hinging on Byrd Replacement - Could Pass on Monday

2010 Unemployment Extensions - Next week is stacking up to be an interesting one. Millions of Americans have already lost their unemployment benefits with hundreds of thousands soon to suffer the same fate. So all eyes are on the Senate to come back and finally pass a much needed unemployment extension bill.

Cloture for the UI extension bill almost passed before the Senate went on recess, missing by just one sorry vote, a result of the untimely passing of Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.V.). I say untimely, not because he was young or his passing totally unexpected, but because - forgive me - the timing for the unemployed couldn't have been worse.

But Senate Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev), banking on a Democrat replacement for Senator Byrd, chose to let the unemployed stew without benefits for a few more weeks while the Senate went on holiday, ignoring Republican Senator Scott Brown's (R- Mass.) alternative and fully funded unemployment extension bill and turning down Republican Senator George Voinovich's (R-Ohio) offer to provide the 60^th vote if Reid would allow just half of the UI benefits bill to be offset.

If that wasn't enough, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also proffered a fully funded temporary unemployment extension to tide the jobless over until the Senate could work through the rest of their differences. But to all of these options, Harry Reid and the Democrats said no.

That's right. Three chances provided by the Republicans on Wednesday, June 30 to get our unemployment benefits back to us before the recess; two of them bills that would have taken care of UI extensions through November and one a temporary measure to prevent the suffering and loss we are experiencing now - but the Democrats said no.

But let's not stop there. For these, in fact, are not the first attempts the Republicans have made to get us unemployment extensions, nor the first the Democrats have refused. Far from it. As I have previously reported here, here and here:

- On June 10, Senate Minority Leader McConnell offered a 30-day unemployment benefits extension while the Senate debated the overall bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) turned it down.

- On June 17, the Senate voted on Senator John Thune's (R-S. Dak.) Amendment to H.R. 4213, the UI Benefits "Extenders" bill. Thune's plan fully paid for ALL benefits and the broader bill some unallocated stimulus money and cuts in unnecessary federal spending. It included no job-killing tax cuts. The bill had full Republican support but the Democrat's voted it down.

- On June 21, Senator McConnell and the Republicans offered it again, trying to get us unemployment benefits a second time, but, again, Reid and the Democrats refused.

- On June 24, according to an article in "The Hill", immediately following the failed vote on the Unemployment BenefitsExtension bill: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) offered a one-month extension of unemployment Insurance benefits, the COBRA subsidy, flood insurance program, small business lending program and 2009 poverty guidelines paid for with stimulus money used in the Democrats bill to offset costs."

Don't you find it a tad interesting that when a Democrat UI Extension bill fails to get the votes, the press is all over it, angrily reporting how "the Republicans blocked another unemployment extension" or "the Republicans let down millions of Americans", but when a Republican UI Extension bill fails to get enough Democrat votes or Harry Reid won't even let it see the light of day, all you hear is ........

Yes, the Democrats and their liberal allies in the mainstream media have been soaking up the air waves over the past four or five weeks, relentlessly demonizing the Republicans for preventing, stalling, obstructing, fillibustering, etc. etc. on unemployment benefits extensions, for not being concerned about the unemployed and not wanting us to get unemployment benefits extensions. But it's simply not true. While some have raised concern over the abuses in the unemployment insurance system, their voices are few. And ALL the Republicans have been fully on board with getting unemployment benefits to us - MORE benefits, in fact, than the Democrats as the Republicans' proposals included the $25 per week FAC stimulus money that the Democrats took away and one Republican bill also carried us through the end of the year, not just November as the Democrats have proposed (Can you say elections?). The Republicans have even tried to get us temporary unemployment extensions so we wouldn't have to do without while the Senate wrangled over the larger H.R. 4213 "Tax Extenders" bill. Of course I'd rather get the whole extension done so we don't have to go through this uncertainty and fear over and over again. But I, for one, would have much rather have had my benefits while the Senate wrangled than to have had them cut off as I have. How about you?

In my view, it has been the Democrats that have stubbornly turned down unemployment extensions for political gain. They have refused every UI extension bill, amendment or deal that had Republican support time after time after time again. The way I see it, Senator Voinovich was absolutely correct - The Democrats have used this issue - they have used us - to "demagogue for votes". Rather than get the money to us so we can survive this horrendous economy until jobs become available again, they have let our need drag on and on and on so they could continue to tell the world that they're the one's that care while the Republicans were hard hearted. While the Republicans are trying to take care of the best interests of the whole country, including the unemployed, by getting us our UI benefits extensions while stopping the bleeding in the government debt, the Democrats are playing a game of political chess - and we, the unemployed, are the pawns.

You may not agree with my take and I can understand that considering all the well-spun baloney that the Democrats, President Obama and the liberal press have been force feeding us over the past weeks (months, years). But we'll all know for certain soon enough as my theory will be put to the test on Monday morning, July 12.

The replacement appointee for Senator Robert Byrd and, therefore, the 60^th vote will not likely be there to vote for the Democrats' unpaid version of the unemployment benefits extension bill. So watch to see what Harry Reid does on Monday morning. Reid has the power to show the unemployed that THEY are the priority. He can tell the world that he understands that we, the jobless and destitute, just can't wait any longer. He can put Senator Scott Brown's fully offset UI Extension bill on the floor for a vote or he can accept Senator George Voinovich's offer for his vote in exchange for using unallocated stimulus funds for just half of the UI extension. That's all it would take for the 60^th vote and unemployment benefits extensions could finally move out of the Senate. We could finally have our benefits restored.

But will Senator Harry Reid and the Democrats care more about our needs than using us and our plight to get themselves votes? I, for one, doubt it. I believe Reid will keep playing politics, continue delaying on the unemployment benefits extension bill and just let our pain go on milking the "demonize the Republicans" strategy for all it's worth in order to get his way with a Democrat version of the bill that will have to continue to wait for. But we will find out on Monday. And you know I will be reporting back to you on that day.

Sources:

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/congress-refuses-extend-unemployment-benefits-republicans-democrats-blame/story?id=11064815

http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/nancy-pelosi-unemployment-checks-are-the-fastest-way-to-create-jobs/

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/congress/Dems-refuse-compromise-to-extend-unemployment-benefits-97625324.html

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/harry-reid-blocks-bill-extend-unemployment-benefits-unspent-stimulus-funds

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

http://voinovich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsCenter.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=8a837962-e407-f672-be2a-101c17720ecb

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/domestic-taxes/105511-mcconnells-alternative-bill-fails-on-the-senate-floor-

http://thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=3b86ee99-7e55-4c9f-baeb-6ecf96e0c570&Month=6&Year=2010

http://thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=2cdfbd99-a5eb-4646-a011-ba463b6ef6bb&Month=6&Year=2010