Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO)
Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Sen. Thomas Coburn (R-OK)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
Sen. Jefferson Sessions (R-AL)
Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Those are the Republican senators who voted against cloture on a bill extending unemployment benefits. Apparently, those Republicans do not care too much about the plight of those who are unemployed and whose unemployment insurance checks have run out. And why would they care? Most of those senators are wealthy. Why would they be in a hurry to help unemployed Americans?
Although last night the senate voted in favor of cloture on the unemployment extension bill by 87-13….there's still one more filibusterable step left before the extension is made law.
What are Republicans dragging their feet about here?
The Republican amendments include at least two provisions related to ACORN; one related to the E-Verify program; one to pay for the UI benefits with unspent stimulus money; and one providing tax relief.
Of course we know why ACORN is being used as an excuse to stall unemployment checks. Republicans are at war with blacks in America,….because blacks vote Democratic. Not personal, you understand, simply political. So, any bill to extend unemployment insurance, a necessary measure in our depressed economic environment, is a great opportunity, Republicans think, to hold hostage those unemployment checks to more FOX-style bashing of ACORN. Good luck with lowering that 5%-of-blacks-voting-GOP…..down to one percent.
E-Verify has to do with monitoring immigration through the crosschecking of citizenship on employment applications. Naturally, documenting immigration status has nothing to do with extending unemployment checks to, like, unemployed American workers…..but Republicans could care less about that. Republicans know that their political party takes a ridgid stand against undocumented workers….Republicans are tough border patrollers, don't ya' know. Nation protectors. "Amnesty" rejecters. Republicans rarely miss an opportunity to bash the "other" (see Jennings, Kevin) (see Sotomayor, Judge), and that's what they are doing with the unemployment insurance extension bill. If bashing "illegals" slows down the unemployed's checks, well….that's just the cost Americans must pay for the GOP's vigilance in it's fight against non-white skinned people. Undocumenteds threaten our very existence…or at least that's what FOX and Rush tell us….and they run the information-arm of the GOP.
The third "concern" of Republicans, which simply had to be addressed by stalling an extension of unemployment benefits, is paying for any extension with "unspent stimulus money." I got an extra special kick out of this one. Three Republicans in the Senate, Spector, Collins and Snowe voted for the stimulus package back in February. That's it….and Spector is now a Democrat. I just think that it requires big brass wingnut balls to stall unemployment extensions while those who voted against the stimulus tell the rest how that stimulus money should be spent. Big brass wingnut balls.
The last stall tactic is typical boilerplate Republican policy. "Tax relief." I mean, Jesus…..is there any piece of legislation….ever….that Republicans won't try to attach a tax cut to? Think about it. Republicans are holding up an extension of paltry unemployment checks in order to consider more tax cuts. Republican tax cuts during Bush cost the Treasury $1.5 trillion….enough money to pay for 10 years of national health care AND pay the unemployment insurance extensions needed now. BECAUSE cutting taxes radically for the wealthiest Americans didn't really create jobs, as the numbers demonstrate….it's particularly ironic that those who have lost their jobs and need those benefits are having those benefits held up, delayed, by yet another attempt to cut taxes.
Republicans can't govern….they've proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt with the Bush/Cheney administration. Still today, GOP'ers repeat Father Reagan's wingnut advice…."government isn't the solution, government is the problem", and when in power, do everything to prove that government isn't the solution.
Then when only the government can provide the "solution", as with unemployment insurance extensions, Republicans do their damnest to stop that "solution" from being passed.
The Republicans in office are obstructionists. They are not a loyal opposition. They are the disloyal opposition. They don't care about typical Americans having health insurance. You've heard them….they just say no to health care reform. They don't care whether an unemployed American runs out of unemployment checks. They have stalled and drug their feet at every turn to slow down any extension of unemployment for America's unemployed.
These GOP'ers are beyond shaming. They are shame-resistant.
Yes, Congress will pass an unemployment insurance extension. But it won't be because the Republicans didn't try to stop it.
More than a dime's worth of difference in the parties when it comes to this issue, I'd say.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Using unspent stimulus money to extend unemployment benefits sounds like a great idea. Why wasn't that done ?
I applaud the "disloyal opposition," who are looking out for the taxpayers. Kudos to them. The rest of Congress is the problem.
What would really be great is if the rest of the stimulus program was canceled.
Let me congratulate you, Reverand, on your psychic powers. Though you do not quote any statements from these Senators you know their motivations and deepest prejudices. Nothing is hidden from your all-seeing eye. One might almost think that you saw the darkness in their souls before they even voted, by the mere fact that they were Republicans.
Well, Quid…somewhat.
It is not my psychic powers…not really. Republicans, over many years, have made their policies known. Republicans represent huge monied interests. That's who their constituency is. Democrats have problems with corporate control, as well, but they are not so enslaved by their corporate masters that they vote against, you know, extending unemployment insurance for regular American workers.
Perhaps you could explain why those 13 GOP senators would vote against extending unemployment checks for unemployed workers during the worst economic downturn in over 70 years?
And King doesn't help his credibility by calling for an end to spending anymore of the stimulus. The stimulus has saved and/or created hundreds of thousands of jobs, the GDP increase last quarter was substantial, no doubt, at least partially as a result of the stimulus money. King encourages more unemployment. Why?
"looking out for the taxpayers"…now that's a good Saturday morning laugh.
"The stimulus has saved and/or created hundreds of thousands of jobs"
I think the Obamas have it up to a million jobs created/saved (with no proof). Of course, that was last week. It might be 2 million by now.
Just wanted to keep you up to date on the latest government propaganda. Gotta keep those talking points going, you know.
And what's wrong with using the stimulus money for unemployment insurance extensions ? You never responded to that point.
"the GDP increase last quarter was substantial"
This is classic, coming from the Rev, who always complained previously about Wall Street paper GDP increases, while the real economy contracted. That's exactly what happened in the 3rd quarter. When jobs start being created, then you can bring up this point.