With 800,000 Unemployed Set to Lose Benefits, Congress Leaves Town

[babylonsister]

With 800,000 Unemployed Set to Lose Benefits, Congress Leaves Town
by Chisun Lee, ProPublica - October 3, 2008 3:27 pm EDT


While Congress managed to pass a $700 billion financial-industry bailout before breaking for over a month to campaign, legislation to extend unemployment aid for 800,000 laid-off workers did not make the cut. Their benefits will dry up as soon as this Sunday.

Negotiations late yesterday in the Senate for streamlined passage of a bill to extend emergency jobless relief by at least seven weeks failed when Republicans balked. By evening, most senators had left town on election recess. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said the Senate would reconvene the week of Nov. 17.

After approving the bailout today, the House overwhelmingly passed (368-28) a jobless benefits extension essentially identical to the Senate version on an accelerated vote. Speaking on the floor in support of the bill, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) said he regretted that it was “a little bit late,” but “I only hope the Senate is listening.”

The quick passage could provide momentum for an extension in a lame-duck Senate. Had the House reverted to lengthier deliberations, to be taken up after the elections, the fate of federal unemployment aid would certainly be shakier, Democratic congressional aides told ProPublica.

A spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Don Stewart, said Republicans had refused an emergency vote on a benefits bill because Democrats gave no chance for debate or amendment. “It’s a huge spending bill,” he said. The proposal has been estimated to cost $6 billion.

more...

http://www.propublica.org/article/with-800000-unemployed-set-to-lose-benefits-congress-leaves-town-1003/

[OhioChick]

1. K&R

:kick:

[AzDar]

2. Well, that pretty much says it fucking all, doesn't it?

Of the Corporations, By the Corporations, For the Corporations....


:puke:

[snappyturtle]

5. Yep.

Double :puke: :puke:


Edit:
Everyday is a living hell for these families.....and the Senate can't get their butts back until Nov. 17! UNFORGIVEABLE. Let's see, today is Oct. 3rd so there are 45 days,or 6 weeks,or a month and a half for some to go on a break while many, many thousands are left in the cold. :cry:

[katty]

6. all hail the kings of the police state

[bread_and_roses]

9. exactly. (n/t)

[katty]

3. K&R

[Solly Mack]

4. Damn

K&R

Damn damn damn damn damn damn

[MadrasT]

7. Damn. NOW is it pitchfork time?

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[Yuugal]

10. I've been laying in a good supply of torches!

The problem these days is we always storm the wrong Bastille and end up with a face full of pepper spray, tazed, beaten, an arrest record and a fine. I'd rather see us all cancel our cable, phone, or not show up to work for a day or 3. A mass sick-out. Something, anything, to let them know we mean business.

[Cobalt Violet]

18. This is a nation of sheep.

I don't think we will ever see pitchforks.

[slipslidingaway]

8. They passed the bill that mattered and left :( n/t

[Night_Nurse]

11. Gov't to the unemployed: F*ck YOUR bailout...

we took care of our own, and we are outta here!

:mad:

[pleah]

12. 700 billion for banks, but rethugs think 6 billion is to much for benefits.

Why am I not surprised.

[tjwash]

13. Oh come on...the banks are gonna open up all those nice soup kitchens.

Why can't you just fall back into line and get over it?

[pleah]

14. No goose-step shuffle for me thanks.

;-)

[Cobalt Violet]

15. Those facist pigs!

Fuck them all.

[shadowknows69]

16. Congratulations fuck wads (Congress) that's 800,000 people not spending money

in your artificially inflated economy this holiday season. How's that going to help us?

[Waiting For Everyman]

17. Repubs are always the ones nixing anything that would help.

They torpedoed the bankruptcy law fix several times, and were the ones who originally changed the law to exclude borrowers with only one home. In this bailout negotiation, and in several laws passed last summer, it was taken out for them.

Dems have been pushing for that, and also for extending unemployment since last winter. This kind of thing is when Repubs always suddenly remember the deficit.

Oh, but if it was a tax break for the top, that's different.

"Same as it ever was... "

This has been class warfare them them for a long time.