WTF: House GOP Says Its Too Late To Pass An Unemployment Extension (2 million Americans get screwed)

[Cali_Democrat]

WASHINGTON -- Republicans in the House of Representatives say it's just too late to pass legislation restoring unemployment benefits to the 2 million workers who've missed out since December.

The Senate advanced a bill reauthorizing the benefits in a procedural vote on Thursday, setting up passage as soon as next week. Then the ball would be in House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) court.

Boehner has voiced opposition to the bill. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees unemployment insurance, elaborated Thursday on Boehner's recent argument that the Senate measure would be "unworkable" even if Congress approved it -- so lawmakers shouldn't bother.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/27/unemployment-extension-_n_5043679.html

[leftyohiolib]

1. unworkable meaning it helps people therefore unworkable

[Prophet 451]

28. Exactly

To Republicans, anything that helps the poor is verboten, therefore "unworkable".

[Rex]

2. Ugh.

[atreides1]

3. Expecting something different?

[customerserviceguy]

5. I wasn't

I doubt that we'll see another significant piece of legislation passed the rest of this year, or at least until after Election Day.

[abelenkpe]

4. lawmakers shouldn't bother?

Isn't that SOP for republicans since Obama first took office? Doing nothing. Not bothering? Not caring?

A truly spiteful useless bunch the house GOP.

[12kbush]

6. Wake Up America

Get Ready For The November Elections. Its Time To Clean House!When you have a Congress that is lower than low in all poll ratings done.

[mcar]

7. And I'm one of them

Unemployed since June 2013. A woman of a "certain age" living in semi-rural Florida. Fortunately, my husband still works but there are no jobs for me. I can barely even get a thanks but no thanks reply to my applications. Our income was cut in half. Our expenses were not. We still have one kid in high school.

Can we on this board please stop bickering amongst ourselves and start fighting the real enemy?

We're shooting ourselves in the foot, people, while the Koch's and Adelson's are laughing all the way to the bank.

We need to focus our outrage on the Republicans. They are the ones who are ruining this country. I hold to Kos's view of electing more and better Democrats. We have to get the more part done first, though.

That means voting! Please. For me and all the unemployed.

Thank you.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. I'm so sorry to hear that

You are right. This is a really important issue. Millions of Americans are being so badly screwed by the GOPers and the media is nowhere to be found. This should be a TOP issue that's discussed daily.

It's amazing to me how elected officials can be so indifferent to this. It's very similar to the GOPers that refuse to expand Medicaid. They are literally killing Americans.

[mcar]

11. Thanks cali_d

So many of us I know I am in good company.

If we would just work together we could make things better for us all.

[Prophet 451]

29. The media are corporate

and corporations (and the people who own them) tend to be conservative.

[4_TN_TITANS]

18. That describes me..

Unemployed since August, income halved, one kid still in high school. Thank God my oldest daughter was smart enough to get full scholarships for college.

And nothing but deafening silence to all the online applications and resumes sent out.

[Botany]

19. There is no reasons why anybody besides a very rich and selfish person should ever vote GOP

I am so sorry about your unemployment and I too share your outrage at the
way the current GOP seems to think and act as if the problems of America
are caused by the poor and the middle class.

[Prophet 451]

31. It's called "motivated reasoning"

Put simply, you would be amazed at people's ability to rationalise, compartmentalise, explain away (which is quite different to explaining) and otherwise talk themselves into voting against their own interests.

[Prophet 451]

30. I'm sorry for you

I'm on disability (for reasons of mental and physical health) and our Tories are pulling the same class warfare shit as your Republicans. In the end, it's all just class warfare and class resentment directed at the poor.

[Wounded Bear]

8. Well, I'm sure they want to squeeze in 20 more Repeal Obamacare bills...

and this would just delay that important work.

Do I need this?

[PowerToThePeople]

9. Hey Boner,

[Cha]

12. Kick

[Thor_MN]

13. But they are sure there is time for another couple ACA repeal votes...

[The Wizard]

14. Calling Mr. Boner, calling Mr. Boner

Your hemlock is ready.

[steve2470]

15. k&r nt

[thesquanderer]

16. Right, they should only vote on realistically "workable" proposals...

...like trying to repeal Obamacare for the 51st time. Now that's a productive use of time and resources.

[blkmusclmachine]

17. GOP to America: Fuck Off & Die!

[spanone]

20. heartless shit stains.

[Steviehh]

21. Got the money to Ukraine PDQ

US, can't afford slackers.

[pangaia]

22. This committee should be called the House No Ways and No Means Committee.

[DeSwiss]

23. Plenty of time

Special Session

United States

In the United States of America, Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution gives the President of the United States the power to "on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses or either of them."

This power exists for urgent or extraordinary situations that require congressional action when Congress is adjourned. Presidents have exercised this power 46 times to recall only the Senate and 26 times to recall both Chambers of Congress, most recently by Harry Truman in 1948.

The Senate itself differentiates between "extraordinary sessions" called by the Presidential proclamation and "special sessions" that merely indicate a session not normally scheduled term "session" which can refer to formal start and end of a Congressional session or the daily sessions of the chambers of Congress. Thus a formal "special session" will only happen when Congress has adjourned sine die and is not simply in recess (in other words Congress may or may not already be in an official session, but in recess, when convened).

- Which would also have the ancillary benefit of leaving these statespersons less time to prostitute themselves ''campaign'' to the highest bidders back home.

K&R

[sulphurdunn]

24. There's a name for people

who feel justified in causing unnecessary pain to others and are aroused by their suffering. They're called sadists. When you throw a total lack of empathy and primping narcissism into the mix, they're called republicans.

[DallasNE]

25. So, Wasn't Running Out The Clock The Only Plan The GOP Had? n/t

[sheshe2]

26. Kicked and Recommending!

[sakabatou]

27. UGH!

[mikeysnot]

32. NO time to act because we are to busy

trying to repeal the ACA....

Insanity, repeating the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.

[Beacool]

33. How is it "too late"?

These people have been waiting for 3 months for their benefits. I cringe to think how they are surviving if unemployment benefits is all they had.

How would the Repugs in the House like it if they didn't get paid for 3 months and then someone claimed that it was too late to start paying them again?