GOP Refuses To Extend Unemployment Benefits
Guess what the big excuse is for the GOP, “the bill is fiscally irresponsible.” What a freaking joke the Bush administration and the GOP have been fiscally irresponsible for the last 8 years. Oh I forgot it’s American citizens at risk not companies.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday narrowly defeated a Democratic attempt to give unemployed Americans an extra three months of jobless benefits after the White House threatened to veto the bill. But Democratic leaders said they will bring the bill back for a second vote on Thursday.
The bill would have extended the average $300-a-week benefit check by 13 weeks for all unemployed Americans. Job seekers in high unemployment states like Alaska, California, Michigan and Rhode Island would have been able to get an extra 13 weeks on top of that.
Majority Democrats said the legislation was needed because of the tough economy and rising unemployment rate. The number of unemployed Americans rose to 8.5 million in May. The jobless rate jumped to 5.5 percent in May from 5 percent in April, the biggest monthly rise since 1986.
House Democratic leaders brought up the bill under a procedure that required a two-thirds vote for approval. The final vote was 279-144, just three votes shy of the two-thirds margin, same as needed to overcome a presidential veto.
The White House threatened to veto the bill only hours before the vote. The Bush administration said emergency steps like extending unemployment benefits have historically been taken only when the unemployment rate jumps considerably higher than the 5.5 percent reported for May.
The Bush administration also complained that the bill gives extended benefits to all states regardless of their unemployment rates. For example, South Dakota and Wyoming reported unemployment rates of 2.6 percent. “It is fiscally irresponsible to provide extra benefits in states with low unemployment rates,” the White House statement said.
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June 12th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Vote these people out of office who are against the American people. We need to impeach the entire Bush Adminstration for what they have done to the American people. They have done nothing for this country but have put us Americans in debt. They should being this debt out of their own pockets.We need people who stand for the rights of the American People.
June 12th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Beuford:
Agreed. Anyone who voted against this should be run out of office. Fortunately House Democrats plan a bring the bill to the floor again.
Peolsi tried to make it veto proof and it failed because of lock step Bush loyalist..
June 13th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I agree! There are already alot of homeless,struggling to get by, and single parents in America. Do we need to add the unemployment with no income on the list. What is this world coming to… “American Dream”. What that? There is no more middle class.. Its’ either poor or rich.. Let evaulate all this closer…Are people really looking for jobs? Some are and Some aren’t? How long has people been on unemployment? This is my first time in my life that I have been on unemployment and I hate it. I am looking for a job and it’s hard… and I need the unemployment check to keep me and my family above water. We don’t have much dedit because we don’t believe in it. we want to stay like that but I don’t think we will be able to…..We have a built up savings account but not either to keep us going……. Please extend this bill it is needed for everyone. I am sure of that….
June 13th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Minimuffin:
Fortunately, the House on Thursday passed the bill however, it is not likely to pass the Senate.
The sad truth is unemployment is actually higher than the statistics show. As unemployment benefits expire, people are removed from the rolls that does not mean they have found a job. Nor does that mean that the unemployment rate has declined. It means that these people have fallen through the cracks and they are still unemployed.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Nytexan,
I understand! And I know some people have fallen through the cracks and still unemployed… And that’s what’s Scarey about this whole thing. And now more people are going to fall through the cracks and be unemployed. I will be one of them and I have been working straight for the past 21 years and lost my job this past December. It was hard making it on the unemployment checks and now going to be even harder. the Government has to do something… It’s not going to get better if they don’t.
June 13th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Minimuffin:
I do understand what you are saying. I really don’t understand how the government expects people to live on 300.00 per week with the cost of every item rising everyday.
The whole mess is disgusting. As more people become unemployed more houses will be foreclosed. The request for food stamps is increasing and food banks don’t have enough to go around. And, the clueless D.C. crowd wants to throw crumbles at Americans based on flawed statistics and the sudden concern of fiscal responsibility.
Funny how Congress can always manage to give themselves a raise.
The Bush government has spent more money than all the presidents combined. That alone is shocking and disgraceful. The only people Bush has helped are the wealthy and the rest of us have been screwed.
Change needs to come in November and John McCain will not be the change maker this country needs. McCain will continue the Bush agenda and as he admits “I know nothing about the economy.”
We all need to call our Senators to get them to vote for extension of benefits.
I wish you luck.