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Senate Clears the Way for Vote on Aid for Jobless Workers |
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After weeks of obstruction by Republican Senate leaders, millions of jobless workers who have or who will soon run out of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits may finally have a chance to grab an economic lifeline in the form of extended UI benefits.
The U.S. Senate yesterday approved a procedural motion that clears the way to a vote on legislation (H.R. 3548) that would provide an additional 14 weeks of benefits to unemployed workers in all states and up to 20 weeks in states with especially high jobless rates.
The Senate could vote as early as tomorrow, but a Thursday vote is more likely. Call your senators today and urge them to take swift action and pass H.R. 3548. You can call the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask to be connected to your senators or click here to find your senators’ office numbers.
Since the U.S. House passed its version of the bill Sept. 23, some 7,000 unemployed workers a day have run out of benefits. The long-term jobless rate is at its highest level since 1981 and more than a million jobless workers will run out of benefits by year’s end without action.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said when he attempted to bring the UI bill to the floor shortly after it passed the House,
Republicans decided they would rather fight a partisan fight than help unemployed men and women in their own states. They decided to make a political statement by demanding completely irrelevant amendments, amendments that have absolutely nothing to do with unemployment specifically or even the economy generally. And they decided that that political statement was more important than helping their constituents afford to pay their bills. That’s wrong, and it’s an outrage.
I am deeply disappointed in the way Republicans have shown a complete lack of regard for the people behind those staggering numbers.
While workers anxiously wait for an average unemployment check of $292 a week, the same Republican lawmakers who have slowed the bill, are in no hurry to rein in bailed banks that are using billions of taxpayers’ dollars to give to their CEOs and other executives bonuses or to fight financial industry reforms. They have strongly criticized Obama administration efforts to stop the tax-dollar-funded excessive bonuses and other banking reforms.
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Break with the Democrats! Build a Workers Party, a party for ordinary working men and women, not millionaires!
Public works jobs would be a good answer the the buyers market that exists in American labor. The problem is that in American news reports it has become a dirty word to be called Progressive, Liberal, or Pro-Labor, and to support American labor with ideas that might work by letting us work. Anytime we start to get it together they pull the plug. They say “Oh no, we can’t do that, it might be inflationary, socialistic, or communistic.” Direct hiring lowers the unemployment rate, gets needed public projects done, and bypasses the middlemen (the banks). They have taken our money and loaned it to foreign companies. They are not investing in America. What we have now is another form of “trickle down economics”, but my Daddy used to say, ” Don’t piss on me and tell me its raining.” We are still waiting for the banks to prime the pump, and will be for a while.
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!! REMEMBER NOT TO VOTE FOR THOSE CLOWNS THAT ARE BLOCKING THIS CRUCIAL BILL!!!
1. Senator jon Kyl (R) ARIZONA
2. Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R) UTAH
THEY ARE TRULY OUT OF TOUCH WITH REAL AMERICAN ISSUES!!!
If anyone in our government truly cared about the American worker they would not only extend the unemployment benefits but they would also call a halt to the importaton of foreign workers! With millions of Americans out of work it would seem to me that there should be little need to import foreign labor. Oh, wait, I forgot, the foreign workers will accept pay that is pennies on the dollar compared to American workers. Sadly, what benfits ‘corporate’ America and their ‘buddies’ harms the rest of our country. The exportation of American jobs combined with the importation of ‘cheap’ foreign labor is killing the United States. How long before we become just another third world country?
I wouldn’t vote for Jon Kyl anyway. Orrin Hatch also unlikely.
They better do more than extend the Unemployment.
A massive public-works program like that of the 1930’s New Deal is what is called for. There is precedent and the statistics are available-
Such a plan could alleviate the uncertainty (not to mention the misery) of millions and would also serve to cement the euphoria of the last Presidential campaign to something lasting.
Congress has a responsibility.
These guys are unbelievable.