Republicans BLOCK Emergency Unemployment Benefit Extension-MILLIONS Set To Lose Benefits in March !

[Techn0Girl]

This Thursday Republican obstructionist Mitch McConnell http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/12/mcconnell-objects-to-one_n_460328.html">successfully blocked a Democratic proposal to extend by ONE WEEK, unemployment benefits that are due to expire this February 28th. This was an emergency proposal by Democrats in order to keep the unemployment lifeline flowing to millions of families.

Republican obstructionists have already tied up proposals to extend unemployment benefits in the Senate. States need 3-6 weeks minimum to reprogram their computers in order to allow benefit changes to recipients. The Senate will not reconvene until next February 22nd and it is likely that Republicans will attempt to hold back benefits as long as possible.

All states will be forced to discontinue approval for ANY extended benefits past the 26 week mark to any and all eligible recipients. Let me be clear: if you are currently receiving extended benefits that are set to end AFTER March 15-21 (roughly), your benefits will NOT be interrupted --

HOWEVER if your extended or regular(26 week) benefits are due to expire any time between February 28th and the time the Senate extends the Bill PLUS the 3-6 week ramp up time the States need to reprogram their plans YOU WILL RECEIVE NO MONEY DURING THIS PERIOD.

None. At. All.

Up to http://washingtonindependent.com/75815/report-1-2-million-americans-set-to-lose-unemployment-benefits-in-march">1.2 MILLION Americans will be in the worst case situation during the months of March - about 300,000 Americans will LOSE their unemployment lifeline each and every week after March 1st.

Even if Congress manages to pass the extension any time in February at this point in time most States will be unable to act on it for 3-5 or more weeks during which time NO money will be paid out to new eligible recipients

If you;re on unemployment you NEED to contact your Congressman Now. You NEED to make people aware that Republicans are toying with you and your families only source of income for petty political gain.

"They're grossly underestimating the degree of disruption that is already going to happen," said Judy Conti, a lobbyist for the National Employment Law Project.

P.S. I just got a decent job <yeah!> yesterday after about 8 months on unemployment - but I still think of this issue as something I should fight for. I hope that you do as well. We're all in this together

[Turbineguy]

1. The Democrats could not crank out

Democratic voters this fast.

[cliffordu]

2. WEll...

BWAHAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHH AHA HA

Right you are. The best friend Dems ever had.

[Techn0Girl]

3. Actually Republican talking heads will begin to blame this on Democratic ineptitute...

on Faux news and other sources - like Reicht-wing talk radio.

Most people do NOT realize that the Republicans are doing this.
The word needs to get out.

[eShirl]

6. why the hell aren't the Democrats all over TV denouncing the Republicans for this?

they just sit back and say nothing while the Republicans go talking shit everywhere

[GoCubsGo]

8. "Will begin"?

They have been doing that for months--on just about every issue. So have many Democratic talking heads, unfortunately. This case will be no different.

[msongs]

4. dems get another huge gift they will not use effectively most likely, bein bipartisan and all nt

[KonaKane]

5. I hope they remember this in 2012.

But I'm not banking on it.

[GoCubsGo]

7. They won't.

Like Gore Vidal said, "United States of Amnesia."

[DCBob]

9. sigh...and somehow President Obama will be blamed.

GOPers are evil.

[lib2DaBone]

10. There is a special hell for politicians... especially Republicans..

I can't even get into it. I'm so devastated.. beat down.. and sick and fucking tired of Washington D.C.....

I gotta go before I say something I will regret....

[Techn0Girl]

11. Don't just write about your dissapointment on D.U - DO SOMETHING - Here's how...

Here's where to start - email or write your Congress Men and Women ...
Take 10 minutes and leave a message about it on their phone ...
Names and phone numbers below in a searchable database

http://www.congress.org/communicate

If you don't do anything, neither will our representatives.

[Dappleganger]

12. Why do they hate Americans?

[sakabatou]

13. Because they love Big Business.

[ipaint]

14. This could mean hundreds of millions of dollars taken out of the economy in

high unemployment states. If you think you are safe because you have a job you are wrong. This has nasty consequences for everyone whether you have a job or not.

For me it means my husband and I move into our truck and I am not alone. So while some play political football with my life and everyone who is unemployed, there are very real repercussions for the economy and local communities.

For the record this could all have been avoided if democrats had passed a longer extension the last time the program was scheduled to run out. They didn't knowing full well we weren't going to dream up millions of jobs in three months time. They also like the rest of us are well aware their right wing counterparts would do their best to block any extension.

They all live in a pampered protected bubble and have no clue.

[Techn0Girl]

15. The repercussions will be widespread ...

At this point in time - EVEN in the very unlikely event Congress managed to pass a bill on the 23rd - the day after the reconvene - hundreds of thousands of people and their families will have to wait WEEKS without any source of income. That's right now - today. The repercussions are going to be pretty amazing come the first week of March as the vast majority of Unemployment Benefit recipients have NO idea that their benefits are about to be cut off.

[leftstreet]

17. +1

[deacon]

16. Democratic leadership sure ain't perfect but at least they're not those scumbags. n/t

[deacon]

18. They don't care who they take down to get the white house back. They don't give a damn

about anybody but themselves.

No, no, no, no, no...does it make dems or obama bad? Thats all that matters to them.

[Taitertots]

19. Did they filibuster it?

[DisgustedInMN]

20. Welcome to ..

.. my life. Next week is it, not even crumbs for me. Thanks Senators, you're a huge fucking help.

[TwilightGardener]

21. And not a word of this on the Sunday shows.

[ipaint]

22. Of course not.

Must keep the leisure class entertained.

[Techn0Girl]

23. Our Media is owned by....

Rupert Murdoch - a long time tool of the upper classes

Westinghouse who makes weapons for our defense industry (including atomic weapons)

Walt Disney Corporation who has a long standing history of putting profit before people and race discrimination

among a very few others.

The Sunday talk shows are very little more than an outlet for the Pentagon and the Administration to put out talking Points

[Kurovski]

24. Congrats on the job, Techn0Girl.

:thumbsup: K&R

[Techn0Girl]

25. Thank you :) I was starting to get worried for a while . What a sucky (!) economy :(