"A majority of Senators have tried not once, not twice, but three times to extend emergency relief on a temporary basis," Obama said from the Rose Garden, surrounded by a handful of individuals whose unemployment insurance had run out because of senatorial dithering. "Each time a partisan minority in the Senate has used parliamentary maneuvers to block a vote denying millions of people who are out of work much need relief. These leaders in the Senate who are advancing a misguided notion that emergency relief somehow discourages people from finding a job should talk to these folks. That attitude, I think, reflects a lack of faith in the American people." ...
As Obama and congressional Democrats have been eager to point out, Republicans do not apply the same fiscal discipline when it comes to the Bush administration's soon-to-expire tax cuts for the wealthy. Letting the tax cuts expire would save $678 billion over ten years, according to the Office of Management and Budget.
These Republican Senators are clearly acting out of a hypocritical desire to protect the donors who have given to their campaigns, rather than thinking clearly about what is in the best interest of the American people and the economy. To claim that $33 billion to help Americans with no other source of income will harmfully inflate the deficit more than letting the rich keep the $678 billion that will be generated by letting tax cuts expire is disingenuous. That $33 billion will clearly be spent right away on necessities, which will at least stimulate the economy in the short term, and could lead to enough growth to warrant more job creation. Helping the already rich to "save" -- when other people's lives are on the line -- holds no similar guarantee.
I applaud the president for finally taking a hard line and calling out these frauds. These Republican Senators seems to forget that they were elected to serve all of the American people, not just rich people with the assets to line their political war chests.
Comments: (41)
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By: John Lindsay on 7/19/2010 3:34PM
White talk radio hosts and other CONservatives are driving the without-basis belief that...."an extension would simply encourage more people to sit at home and not look for a job."
That is NOT how it works.
In order to remain eligible to receive benefits, you have to complete a sheet asking for the following information:
1) employer contacted, 2) date of contact, 3) who you spoke to or website where you applied for a job (include phone number or website), 4)type of job applied for, and 5) result of contact.
This sheet has to be completed and brought in to your local Unemployment Office every 12 weeks or thereabouts. Depending on your state's guidelines, you have to make contact with a specified number of employers per week.
Hence, the belief that "people are just sitting around collecting a check...with no accountability"...is dead wrong.
Of course, there's always a small percentage of people who find ways to exploit the system, but that is NOT representative of every person receiving unemployment benefits.
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By: tlcanimal on 7/19/2010 3:51PM
The senate has a democrate majority. I guess if the democrates wanted to pass the extension, they could.
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By: BWAYNE on 7/19/2010 3:57PM
if you stupid and don't know nothing ask a question, anyone with sense knows that you need at least 60 votes to pass anything. The democrats have 57 seat and 2 independents who caucus with them so tell how do they pass anything without the republicans?
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By: russ on 7/19/2010 4:31PM
Get off your ass and get a job!!! since obummer has taken office everyone has gotten lazy waiting on a handout from this joker. I was a Federal employee who lost his job because of health issues. I babysit now and take care of a infant because his parents cant afford child care. Dont tell me there is no jobs. I have a neighbor who is mowing lawns because he would rather do that then collect unemployment. Quit being lazy like our President and do somthing about it.
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By: fumoron on 7/19/2010 4:46PM
You deserve to be unemployed, you sound like uneducated moron. Health problems my ass, Maybe your the one that lazy!!!
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By: slyluv210 on 7/19/2010 11:07PM
thats there money you pay a tax when your working for unemployment so unemployed if the bill passes colect your money and be proud.
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By: Taylor Moore on 7/26/2010 11:14AM
well that is beautiful that you and your neighbor are able to find ways to recover during this crisis but unfortunately not everyone has the luxery to afford lawn mowers to be able to mow people's lawns and not everyone lives in an area where there are yards to mow. there are such things as circumstances that some people have to endure and it often makes it nearly impossible to advance if there is no suuport or foundation. Im if you had a federal job that would mean you have some sort of education (another necessity that many do not have access to)which allows you more hope and some type of sophistication that people even trust you to babysit their children. Often times people do not have the same outcomes because they do not have the same opportunities! your outcome during this time of crisis varies from others who are suffering during this time, you have been able to decide the outcome because you have the room to choose and "pull yourself from your bootstraps" but like Obama said....if you dont have any boots then what are you to do?! Our American people need to be more understanding and sensitive to the conditions that some people have to endure
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By: rik on 7/19/2010 4:44PM
"I applaud the president for finally taking a hard line and calling out these frauds."
What are u some kind of fool! There are millions still sitting on the table from last years stimulis bill. But democrates are holding that money for their own speical pet projects.
Why dont you and the President call on them to release it to help out folks? If they care so much, if they are so compassionate, why dont they release the money to help these people?
Im not saying Republicans are right, what Iam saying is you and Obama are telling half the story.
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By: Alexis Stodghill on 7/19/2010 4:58PM
The point of those funds is to use them for what the previous stimulus funds were for -- to keep teachers in schools, police officers on the streets, and other municipal functions going in places where the tax base has been ruined by unemployment. UNEMPLOYMENT is a different bucket of funding. Why would the Republicans want to rob Peter to pay Paul? Using those stimulus funds for unemployment would mean laying off more local government workers, the ones that keep society safe and functioning smoothly. That would be great! -Editor
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By: rik on 7/19/2010 7:22PM
What is it with you people and half truths?
I know the point of the stimulus, and I also know that there are millions upon millions attached to the stimulus bill in the form of amendments, thus I stated "pet projects".
Why don’t democrats give up those pet projects, and fund unemployment benefits until November? It has been reported that there is enough left over to fund benefits until November.
That’s the other side of the story, that the compassionate democrats are not telling people.
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