House Rejects Jobless Benefits Bill

[undeterred]

All Things Considered, June 11, 2008 · The House Wednesday rejected a temporary extension of jobless benefits, a measure that was widely expected to pass with a veto-proof majority. The final vote was 279 to 144.

The move came despite last week's news that the May unemployment rate rose to 5.5 percent — the biggest one month jump in decades.

Democrats needed a two-thirds vote to pass the bill, which would have provided an extra 13 weeks of jobless benefits. That was also the margin needed to overcome a threatened White House veto.

Republicans complained the measure would have provided money to states that still have low unemployment rates.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91392924

Yeah, not enough unemployment in some states- that's a bigger problem than people running out of unemployment compensation. :sarcasm:

Congress is totally out of touch with what people are going through. But when it comes to the war, we have billions to throw around.

[LakeSamish706]

1. That sucks big time... Below is a link to the roll call on the vote...

At least no Democrats voted against it.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/080611/ap/d9184lno0.html

[maryf]

7. My rep didn't vote

and she's a democrat, meanwhile half the republicans in my state voted yes (NY). I notice many of the not voting are democrats, as my rep is a blue dog, I'd like to see how many of the other "not voters" are blue dog...Hold the not voters feet to the fire as well, if they were present...

[bobbolink]

2. We MUST get more progressives with RW reps to take action and CALL, WRITE

:(

[undeterred]

3. That is the most effective kind of activism.

But I think a lot of people just don't even try if their rep is a jerk. In my state 2 Republicans voted in favor of the bill- only Sensenbrenner voted against it.

[bobbolink]

4. Rep. Tony Hall reminded people that if a representative gets 1,000 pieces of mail (or calls)

about an issue, they will definitely take notice.

We need to ORGANIZE, which is something rugged individualists don't like to do.

And why the fundies gained so much ground.

Instead of griping about them, we need to take a page from their book, and get ACTIVE.

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

5. Hold it against Bush and his Repubbie minions

This would be a good issue to wave around in the campaign...as would the SCHIP veto and any other issue where the GOP candidate opposed spending a little bit to help the unfortunate members of society.

[maryf]

6. "War" funding

We may be able to blame the upcoming "colonization" funding bill for the withdrawal of support, 165 billion takes from a lot of other coffers...

[undeterred]

8. I'm unemployed but the unemployment rate in my state

isn't high enough (6%) to get the extension even if it passes. Of course it really is that high, but not the way they count it. I despise Republicans.