Democratic leaders pull unemployment compensation bill leaving the jobless twisting in the wind.

Better Believe It

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jun-24-10 10:20 PM
Original message

Democratic leaders pull unemployment compensation bill leaving the jobless twisting in the wind.

Edited on Thu Jun-24-10 10:22 PM by Better Believe It

Unemployment benefits extension nixed for nearly 1 million
By Tami Luhby
June 24, 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Nearly a million people have lost their unemployment benefits because the Senate failed for the third time Thursday to extend the deadline to file for this safety net.

Hoping to overcome deficit concerns, the Senate trimmed down the bill yet again on Wednesday night so that it would only increase the deficit by $33.3 billion over 10 years, instead of $55.1 billion. The main changes were to scale back additional Medicaid funding for the states and to reallocate some stimulus and Defense Department spending.

The legislation failed by a 57-41 vote.

The bill will now be pulled, according to two Democratic leadership aides. This leaves many groups in flux, including the jobless who have lost their safety net, companies who are waiting to learn what tax breaks are extended, and governors who were counting on the additional funds to balance their budgets.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/24/news/economy/senate_unemployment_benefits/index.htm?hpt=T2

The unemployment bill only costs a little over 3 billion for a year. A real budget buster some claimed! Yet, that much money is spent in a single day for the Department of War(Defense) and supplementary war appropriations! Plenty of money for war.

What makes this really bad is that 57 Senators voted for the unemployment benefits. That's enough to easily pass it. But, not by Senator Reid's count. That because Senator Reid permits Republicans to engage in a "procedural" filibuster.

What's that you might say. Well, a procedural filibuster permits Republican Senators to notify Senator Reid with a piece of paper that they are engaged in a filibuster against a specific bill without having to actually engage in a bona fide filibuster!

And Senator Reid, with the apparent approval of most Senate Democrats, also allows a "two-track" debate on the Senate floor.

It works like this. While the Republicans are engaged in a pretend Senate filibuster, Senators can debate and vote on other legislation on the Senate floor! Isn't that sweet .... and convenient for Republicans. Senator Reid can end his "two track"
rule along with phantom Republican filibuster if he chooses to.

And he along with other Democratic Senate leaders could make it clear to the media and general public that 60 votes are not required to pass legislation in the Senate. Instead, they perpetuate the myth that 60 votes are needed and that their hands are tied because they can't stop Republican filibusters that are allegedly tying up the Senate.

Stop the bull shit!

Reintroduce the bill and include COBRA health insurance help!

Pass the fricken unemployment compensation bill!

Dare the Republicans to filibuster on the Senate floor against it!

I'm tired of seeing Democrats acting like frightened helpless wimps because right-wing Republican deficit hawks are now demanding cuts in spending that helps working people and the elderly.

And I'm tired of that old song and dance act claiming Senator Reid and his fellow Democrats don't have the power to end this obstructionism. Some might even think that Senator Reid along with several other Democrats don't really want to end Republican obstructionism because these bogus "filibusters" provide a convenient excuse for inaction and political paralysis.

It's time to go after the opponents of help for the unemployed.

BBI

------------------------------------------

Dick Durbin: Let GOP filibuster
By MANU RAJU
March 4, 2010

Senate Democrats may be ready to actually make Republicans carry out filibusters.

Basking in their political victory over Sen. Jim Bunning�s (R-Ky.) blockade of an extension of unemployment insurance, Democrats say that they may force Republicans to talk endlessly on the floor in the months leading up to November�s elections.

For months, House Democrats � and liberal activists � have implored Senate Democrats to let filibusters unfold over hours on the Senate floor, rather than try disposing of Senate business with cloture votes and unanimous consent requests.

Asked Thursday why Senate Democrats don�t force Republicans to carry out filibusters, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said, �We may.�

�When we think the Republicans are being unreasonable � we�re going to consider our options under the rules of the Senate, I think there is a feeling after what we went through with Sen. Bunning�s blockage and unemployment benefits that we need to stand up more and make it clear what this obstruction costs,� Durbin said.

In the past, Democrats have hesitated to employ the tactic, fearing that it would serve only to bottle up the agenda further and create even worse perceptions of the Democratic-led Congress. Instead, when Republicans have threatened to filibuster, Democrats pull the legislation from the floor if they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

Read the full article at:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/33920.html

-------------------------------------------

Democrats May Force All-Night Session
By John Stanton
March 2, 2010

Democrats are hoping to turn the procedural tables on Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) and use Senate rules to break his blockade against an extension of unemployment insurance, including possibly forcing a round-the-clock session.

Although no final decisions have been made, Democrats confirmed it is increasingly likely that Democrats will force Bunning into an actual filibuster of unemployment insurance extension Tuesday night by repeatedly offering up unanimous consent agreements to bring the bill to a vote.

Although Members often threaten actual filibusters, they rarely materialize. Instead, lawmakers tend to rely on �Cadillac filibusters,� essentially stalling procedures that can be used to block legislation without having to actually stay put on the Senate floor.

Democrats on Tuesday signaled they have the resolve to remain in session throughout the night to force Bunning to abandon his cause. The American people �want an end to these games. And I hope that today we�ll see the end. If we don�t, we�re going to have to have a long, long night ahead of us to make the point that it�s wrong for one Senator to stop our people, our American people, from getting the help they deserve,� Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/43730-1.html

-------------------------------------------

Dems likely to force Bunning to stay on floor to filibuster
by Jed Lewiso
DailyKos.com
March 2, 2010

If Jim Bunning wants to continue his filibuster against the extension of emergency unemployment benefits, Senate Democrats increasingly likely to force him to stay on the floor -- all night, if necessary -- to carry it out.

According to Roll Call, Republicans are demanding Democrats hold three separate votes on so-called "pay-fors" in order to win Bunning's agreement on the unemployment benefits extension. Each "pay-for" take money from other programs to pay for the extension. Last week, Democrats agreed to one such vote, but today Majority Leader Reid rejected the Republican ransom, saying Democrats would honor their original deal, but that it was unacceptable to shift the goal posts just to score political points on the backs of unemployed American workers.

A side note: a few hours earlier today, Fox claimed that Bunning's filibuster had been resolved. Maybe that report was Fair & Balanced, but it wasn't right. But now that Democrats are making it clear that Bunning is going to have to actually stay on the floor round-the-clock to conduct his filibuster, hopefully we'll see some actual progress.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/2/842314/-Dems-likely-to-force-Bunning-to-stay-on-floor-to-filibuster