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Kyl and Hatch Block Unemployment Aid for Tens of Thousands of America’s Jobless |
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Because of the actions of two Republican senators, every day this month 7,000 jobless workers have lost their unemployment insurance (UI) coverage. Each day these two Republicans continue to stand in the way of Senate passage of a UI extension, 7,000 more workers will run out of benefits.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has tried twice to bring the UI measure to a vote on the Senate floor. First Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), then Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) blocked action.
Christine Owens, executive director for the National Employment Law Project (NELP), says workers are “devastated” by the Republican roadblock.
Unemployed workers across the country are devastated and dismayed by the failure of the U.S. Senate to extend their lifeline. Every day, 7,000 additional workers are facing the total loss of benefits, in many cases after struggling to find work for more than a year and a half.
Ricky Macoy, a Navy veteran and an electrician with 30 years of experience, lost his job after a government contractor pulled the plug halfway through the project. He was supporting himself and his 11-year-old son through a combination of his unemployment insurance, his savings and by pawning his tools. His unemployment ran out two weeks ago, his savings are depleted. He tells NELP:
We have survived some hard times, especially this past year when work was nowhere to be found. Unemployment benefits have kept us afloat, but now we may soon end up homeless without them. What the Senate does now will make all the difference for me and my family.
The official unemployment rate now is 9.8 percent, while the number of those who have given up looking for work or are underemployed stands at an appalling 26 million workers.
Click here to tell the Senate it’s time to pass an extension of UI benefits.
In September, the House overwhelmingly passed a UI extension that called for an additional 13 weeks of (UI) for jobless workers in high unemployment states (more than 8.5 percent) who have exhausted their benefits without finding new work.
Last week, the AFL-CIO urged the Senate to approve legislation that provides 14 weeks of benefits to all jobless workers who can’t find new work and an additional six weeks for those in high unemployment states. Says AFL-CIO Government Affairs Director William Samuel:
Failure to extend benefits would pull the safety net out from under laid-off workers who are struggling to find jobs that have become increasingly scarce…a record 5 million workers have been unemployed for six months or more and there are now six unemployed workers for every available job in the United States.
NELP estimates 400,000 workers exhausted their benefits in September and without any extension, another 1.3 million will run out of benefits by year’s end.
Says Owens:
It’s shameful and callous. Because the Senate has not acted, hundreds of thousands of workers are languishing without any means to support their families in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. It’s time for the Senate to do right by the families hardest hit by the recession—the Senate needs to do whatever it takes, working weekends included, to make this happen.
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Both of these senators need to walk in someone else’s shoes and see how it feels. When they are faced with the real tough choices they just write a check but the rest of us have to seat back and see if there is any money to cover the check. Someone needs to stop these guys now and get this bill passed soon so people can stop worrying about every minute of every day and how we will manage. Do the right thing and place this bill now. If any one of these senators were faced with unemployment insurance they would die, plain and simple.
They are the most heartless so called humans I have ever seen. They need their bank accounts frozen so that they have no money and they have to start selling everything they own to keep the lights on. But even then this heartless people would not care about anyone but themselves. VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE NEXT ELECTION.
These two clowns are showing what the terms selfish and uncaring really mean.
this two senators are garbage scum… they not only are hurting there chances for re-election they are just pompous idiots, they do eat ramon noodles daily and wake up with nothing they get in there mercedes and drive to work and vote against a bill which helps people trying to survive .. maybe it would be better for utah to detached from the country so this clown wouldn’t have a say
I called my Congressman, Peter Defazio’s office and told them that Congress needed to make it a priority that Unemployment Compensation be extended indefinitely. It’s not like there are jobs out there.
I also told his representatives that it should be a top priority of the Government that no one go homeless, no one freeze, no one starve.
These Republicans are truely cold-hearted and out of touch.
The writer’s numbers are incorrect; there are at least 800,000 unemployed around the nation who have exhausted their benefits since the end of September. Some began exhausting the third extension as early as July. In fact, by the end of December, nearly 2 million will have run out of benefits and will have no income.
Getting the numbers right is important–100s of thousands is accurate; 10s of thousands is not.
While Kyl and Hatch are continuing their party of no tradition that they began after their party lost so badly in last year’s election, Harry Reid is no great shakes as a Democratic majority leader either.
The repugs don’t even have a filibuster-majority of 41 senators, and there are senate rules that the majority leader could use to bring any bill to a vote.
Harry refuses to get tough, refuses to use those rules in every instance when there’s a bill that has opposition from the repugs. Instead, he brings the bill to the floor and asked for unanimous consent, knowing he’s not going to get it from the repugs. In this instance, he and the president are the same in that they are always seeking to appease the repugs while the unemployed and their families get thrown under the bus.
Reid is totally spineless and the worst democratic majority leader ever. The extension bill would have passed at least two weeks ago if say an LBJ type was senate leader. It’s no wonder that Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida, the only Democrat with the guts to challenge the terrorist repugs, has a 90,000 signature petition asking for the ouster of Reid as majority leader. It’s no wonder that Reid is in trouble re holding his seat in Nevada’s 2010 election.
This is much more Harry’s fault than it is the republicants.
These senators need to stop playing politics with peoples’ lives and make a decision that warrants their position of power. They were placed in these positions of goverment to serve the people not toy with lives , because the oppourtunity to apply pressure on other issues presents itself by holding out on this pressing matter. All i can wish on these two are life bring them economical struggles so they can see what it’s like wondering about the next meal and how bills are going to get paid with no money.
I really believe that is is time for every union in this country to use this kind of information against the repugs. We should be publishing these reports in every media possible and demanding that the main stream media call them out on their vote. These are the same people that during an election cycle will come in support of all the “JOES” in this country. Joe the Plumber, Joe Six Pack, Joe the Mechanic.etc and fool a lot of hard working union members to believe that they are looking out for our best interest, simply by stating that they are against tax increase. What they tell these, yes, union members is that the only tax increase they are against is the one for the rich. Wake up brothers, don’t be fool, the Republicans and some Democrats are only looking out for the best interest of corporate America.
As gutless and incompetent the Senate Democrats are they never reach the level of these low life Republicans.
Any working class American who votes Republican ever for any position should have their heads examined….evil, pure evil.
I have three family members who have been out of work ranging from 23 to 12 months. One family (of six) has not only been hit by unemployment but by very large medical bills for a father and son. Soon this family will have to split up and move in with relatives, some of whom are also on the verge of losing their job(s) because of this recession just to have a roof over their heads. Pretty soon the government won’t have anyone left to tax because we’ll have no jobs or homes. Some will be just living in cars, not driving them, because they cannot afford the gas to run them. How will they be able to find work. Where do the clean clothes come from to go to that all important job interview where anywhere from 6 to 60 people could be waiting in line for one position. People ARE looking for work, they’re not just sitting on their backsides collecting benefits, and yet these two morons what to take them away because “it’s a drain on the economy, people are not seriously looking for work.” It’s so frustrating how a few people can ruin the lives of so many and it doesn’t bother them to see it. Unless it’s on their front lawns and then they just call the police to take care of the mess.
The only way to get our government back working for us…back in the control of “we the people” as intended in the Constitution…is to educate ourselves and to fire all the corporate a**clowns….like Hatch, Kyl, McCain, Grassley, Boehner,Conrad, Baucus, Lincoln, Landrieu, Emanuel, etc…and replace them with true “for the people” progressives
This country has too many self-centered people. We need to help our neighbors, and communities when times are tough. What on God’s earth “could” ever be a reason to deny help to working people who are in need of temporary help? We want to get back to productive work as soon as possible, so do they think we should be punished? We had 8 years of negligence on several issues when we could have had more growth, balanced budgets, peace, and health care. Instead they voted for tax cuts to the wealthy, when it’s been proven, to not work, and supported by un-biased economists. The 1950s and 1960s saw great middle class growth as the economy grew strongly and we had the highest marginal tax rates on the wealthy ever!
So, how long should unemployment benefits last? Indefinitely? Who’s gonna pay for that? Sounds like fraud, waste and abuse to me.
How long should China-loving politicians remain in office?
What’s the root cause of the recession? How many people can answer that???
We reward companies for leaving the United States.
If BOTH the Democrats (led by China-loving, Chinese-money-taking Bill Clinton) and the Republicans (who were led by another China-loving Bush for 8 years) had not sold nearly ALL the manufacturing UNION jobs to China with the WTO back in 1995, we would not have 9.8% unemployment now.
If we’d stop buying the non-union Chinese junk at NON-union Wal*Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target etc…, we might find ourselves with more jobs, too.
The “stimulus” is a complete failure.
Obama has no clue what to do, and has shown NO leadership at all, other than to waste billions by throwing it at the problem.
The problem is or gross trade deficit with communist countries like C H I N A, and Hilarious Clinton is too weak to stand up to them on human rights abuses or child labor or anything!!
Glenn Beck is right, become an independent and be part of the solution, not the Same-Old-Same-Old Demo/Repub bickering and getting nothing done.
Wake up, America!!
Sincerely,
A New Independent, and a proud UNION member.
Here’s an Idea. Why don’t we all do what was done in the great depression. Go to family to stay warm during the cold, go to the churches for food as well as prayer. We have become a nation of babies depending on our government more than we depend on our relatives and churches. Shame on the people who don’t turn to family and God. Oh yeah their are 60 dems. in the Senate they can overrule any filibuster or road blocks so grow up and put the blame on those in charge…….
You are right to some extent but the family members that I could go to are worse off than me . Everyone does not have a well to do family member(S) further more churches are not the answer when we PAY OUR SENATORS a 6 figure salary to take bribes and forget about the AMERICAN WORKING CLASS FAMILY!!!
So, how long should unemployment benefits last? Indefinitely? Who’s gonna pay for that?
How long should China-loving politicians remain in office?
What’s the root cause of the recession? How many people can answer that???
We reward companies for leaving the United States.
If BOTH the Democrats (led by China-loving, Chinese-money-taking Bill Clinton) and the Republicans (who were led by another China-loving Bush for 8 years) had not sold nearly ALL the manufacturing UNION jobs to China with the WTO back in 1995, we would not have 9.8% unemployment now.
If we’d stop buying the non-union Chinese junk at NON-union Wal*Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target etc…, we might find ourselves with more jobs, too.
The “stimulus” is a complete failure.
Obama has no clue what to do, and has shown NO leadership at all, other than to waste billions by throwing it at the problem.
The problem is or gross trade deficit with communist countries like C H I N A, and Hilarious Clinton is too weak to stand up to them on Human rights abuses or child labor or anything!!
Wake up, America!!
Sincerely,
A New Independent, not the Same-Old-Same-Old bickering and getting nothing done.
Soon there will be no Republican party with these two YoYos as members. Bush nearly destroyed the party, now it is finished.
Any elected official who places the budget deficit before jobs and sustainable living conditions should consider the 12+billion dollars we spend on wars. They should consider the terrible irreversible damage done to hundreds of thousands of Iraq’s and now Afghanistans and the almost six thousand GI’s killed and 45,000+ wounded who may never ever again live a normal healthy life.
I say, change the election laws so third parties have the same right to campaign as the two parties.
Public funding for campaigns! end the endless War syndrome.
Wage peace
Gabe
Personally speaking, just how many of these folks bother to vote? If the unemployed of the nation and their family voted (and they should), some changes in public policy would occur overnight.
Neither of these senators should be in office.
Boy oh boy. I see questions like “how long should “we” pay for unemployed…. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!! I worked AND PAID
Boy oh boy. I see questions like “how long should “we” pay for unemployed….” ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!! I worked AND PAID TAXES for over 30 years… YEAH, DAMN RIGHT, UNemployed need compensated for as long as it takes. If the shoe were on the other foot… You are just the ignorant kind of people who are in office. Out of touch. Uncaring for the workers of this Country.
HEY PRES OBAMA… WHERE ARE YOU?
It is my belief that this is only being done as revenge against Reid. Beings as how Nevada has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation; this is an opportunity for the Republicans to get back at Reid
Republicans, need we say more.
There are plenty of people under employed/unemployed in AZ and UT…how do these guys get re-elected. It boggles the mind.
I want to make a comment on the unemployment figures. A month or 6 weeks ago the Leherer Report on PBS had the real unemployment figures which consisted of those that had exhausted their benefits, those under employed working 20 hrs a week and looking for full time work, and those that work under 19 hours a week and are looking for full time work…at that time the figure was 16.5% No one is addressing this figure and PBS has not run that figure again. Why? They also stated how the unemployment figures of 9.8% are arrived at…The Employment Security Dept telephones 40,000 house holds and asks who in the house is employed. In this day and age I am sure there is a much more efficient way of arriving at a figure. One way would be to call the IRS they know everything!!!
I am so fed up with the republicans, conservatives, kooks and blue dog democrats. What has happened to my country.
Kyl and Hatch in their dismal behavior represent two excellent arguments for justifying disbanding the Senate. Clearly, it is not serving the American people. The House of Representative was eager to give extended UI benefits. If we just had the House and not the Senate, think of all the needless pain and suffering that could have been avoided for countless families. Our country is in a terrifying situation today and where is the leadership? Where is the Franklin D. Roosevelt for our time? Who is willing to step forward and put the welfare of American families ahead of their own ambitions?
The American people have lost their jobs and security because of the small percentage who hold the purse strings in this country and donate money to these senators. I agree with union4ever’s blog that the senate is useless to the majority population. I am sick and tired of how they oppose progress or change in this country. Kyl and Hatch need to vote yes for more unemployment benefits or create jobs for all of us who have lost them. GET A CLUE, senators!
senator hatch is totally out of touch with the plight of millions of Americans ,hhe is more concerned with lobbying President Obama to intervene in the playoffs of college teams,this is his current priority. He has outlived his usefullness as a US Senator and should be put out to pasture . Senator Hatch isw a shining example of why we should have shorter term limits.
WE NEED TO PROTEST, I truly do not understand why everyone complains and is talking this thing to death, They do not care that they are receiving thousands of calls per day as well as emails. I posted on Craigs List PROTESTORS NEEDED. I received few responses,Have we become so Lazy we don’t want to fight for our rights. I would protest today ,If I could get even a few people together, a little Media coverage and it would take on a life of its own, as they say THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS carelud492@comcast.net