Unemployment Extension Fight Likely To Happen Yet Again

The Senate is currently in the midst of passing for the third time a short-term reauthorization of enhanced unemployment benefits and other domestic aid programs that first neared expiration in December -- and this might not be the last time, either.

Both the House and Senate have already passed bills that would provide much longer extensions, but with different sources of funding. The two chambers need to combine their different bills in a conference committee, and then each needs to have another vote on the combined bill.

A Democratic aide told HuffPost that Senate leadership is planning to get to work on that between four and six weeks from now -- probably after the 30-day extension currently on the table will have expired -- which means the current fight pitting deficit reduction against the needs of the unemployed could happen again.

"It's an absolute waste of time," said Judy Conti, a lobbyist for the National Employment Law Project who has been pulling her hair out every month or so since December (in February, she called the Democrats' strategy "a disaster for everybody").

"Unemployed workers can't keep dealing with this stop-and-start at the end of the month," Conti continued. "I know there's nominations, I know there's financial reform, but this is something that should have been taken care of last October."

The measures in question provide another month of eligibility for up to 53 weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits on top of the initial 26 weeks provided by states, as well a 65-percent subsidy of COBRA health insurance premiums and also a reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program. All of those lapsed on April 5 after Congress adjourned for its Easter break, obstructing real estate deals in areas that require flood insurance and causing laid-off workers to miss unemployment checks.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blamed Republicans Tuesday for "leaving the unemployed out to dry." Sen. Chuck Schumber (N.Y.), the third-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said that he hopes to pass the long-term extension this work period -- which means before the next recess, which is seven weeks from now.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduced an amendment Tuesday that would extend the expiring programs for an additional month, through the end of May, which would prevent another fight from breaking out 30 days from now. Republicans are offering amendments to offset the $9 billion cost of the extension with unused stimulus funds set aside for future projects. If the bill is amended, its passage would be slowed because the House would need to vote on it again.

The NELP estimates that more than 200,000 people lose access to their jobless benefits every week after the lapse.

Despite that, Democrats seem to relish these unemployment squabbles. While Republicans objected to motions for "unanimous consent" that would have allowed a speedy reauthorization back in March, the GOP's point-man on deficit reduction, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said at the time he thought some Republicans would defect and allow the bill to pass if Reid brought it up for a vote. Instead, Democrats voted to adjourn and let the programs lapse, saying they didn't have 60 votes to break Coburn's filibuster. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said the break provided "momentum" to win the needed Republican support.

On Monday, four Republicans broke ranks to vote in favor of debating the bill, clearing the way for a final vote that may happen Thursday.

Comments

[Americulchie]

01:40 PM on 06/09/2010

The fact of the matter is there are no jobs.It is imperative for Congress to act on this matter of unemployment benefits extension.Any member of Congress who votes against extension should pay the price of inaction in November.
Furthermore they may want to go back to the New Deal and try some public employment rememdies from that era.

[stevendedalus3]

11:45 AM on 05/21/2010

It goes without saying that unemployment insurance is a necessity--politially and morally; yet it is far more important for congress to get cracking on the outrageous umemployment rate and with overwhelming legislation create millions of new jobs via public works, more in line with the WPA.

[Firebirdlt4]

07:27 PM on 05/05/2010

Congress has passed an unemployment bill that only gives more time to claim benefits that have run out for the long term unemployed. Certain groups are trying to start a campaign to get more benefits for the unemployed.Even in an election year congress is not listening and the media is not even talking about it.They have sent faxes and emails to congress and the president to no avail.They keep claiming unemployment is getting better, it is not.They just drop you from the count when you benefits end.It is time we all stood up and be counted.The economy will be much worse at the end of the year when the rest of us loose our homes, cars and have no food on the table.Gallup says there are actually 21 percent unemployment.It is time to take to the streets and protest. Is this issue not more important than the three million teabaggers that just do not want to pay taxes or the illegals that do not pay taxes and are getting the jobs.There are 12 million illegals and over twenty million of us soon to be homeless.Which is more important them or us.We belong here and contributed to this great country. But all any one talks about is them. We do not even get a mention on the evening news and the government did this to us.They need to get their priorities straight.Election day is coming!

[DANBEAR1970]

02:02 PM on 05/17/2010

America is in trouble, jobs are scarce, families are losing everything... Unemployment is given to the men and women who by NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN lost their jobs and thereby their means to support their families... Unemployment is a buffer in a desperate time of need... if extensions are not granted an estimated 200,000 jobless and now income less people will immerge into complete poverty each week... this in my opinion is a recipe for disaster... there are no other systems in place to help these people who have dedicated their time and energy into a company who abandoned them and their families... Please consider that many families are "Hand to Mouth" or "Paycheck to Paycheck"... and a disruption of this magnitude will be catastrophic for all concerned... PLEASE, LEAVE POLITICS ASIDE AND KEEP THIS BUFFER GOING TO SUPPORT OUR MILLIONS OF CITIZENS WHO BY NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN ARE BALANCING PRECARIOUSLY ON THE BRINK OF COMPLETE POVERTY...

[carolynmiller]

11:18 PM on 05/03/2010

It is a sad situation but i worked for a compamy for 13 years walk in tell you they are pulling out something i never expected. I raise my grandchildren unemployment is greatly appreciated because i still haven't found work and i look everyday.

[LA REID]

06:01 PM on 04/27/2010

Looking for a job and told that more than 12 months of unemployment I couldn,t get hired. This is ridiculous when people didn,t create the dilimma.

[IMPLODE]

12:45 PM on 04/26/2010

Can anyone get word to John Hinkley that Senator Bunning ( and other republicans) has been banging Jody Foster?

[bigpause]

11:59 PM on 04/14/2010

All of Washington needs to pay for what they have been doing to the
citizens of this country. People need jobs and unemployment to
survive. By attaching the Flood Insurance program to this bill
is delaying the paychecks of thousands of people in the housing
industry who cannot close on loans in the food zones. Just
what is Washington thinking.

[MyVesta]

06:36 PM on 04/15/2010

They're trying to screw as many people as possible. That's what they're doing.

[msanonymous222]

12:13 PM on 04/14/2010

Do this for yourselves, and do this for your fellow unemployed. Start to get involved. Know the names of your senators, your representatives. Call. Write. There is power in numbers. You provide no benefit to ANYONE but yourself if you just show up on a forum, ask a question, get your answer and leave. It's downright ignorant to the rest of us who are working so hard on this, some of us (including myself) for MONTHS now, since the HR 3548 debacle of last fall (which is a classic example of how many variations of one bill there can be and why it takes so long for Congress to debate and pass ONE BILL and get it signed into law).

If you are not working, this is your job in addition to job hunting. It is one thing to not understand something; it is quite another to not understand anything, and let everyone else do the work.

We need the power and strength of all the unemployed, and we need them TODAY!

[eilish]

10:36 PM on 04/25/2010

Fanned in complete agreement.

[msanonymous222]

12:13 PM on 04/14/2010

If you are concerned that jobs are not there, then make it your business to LEARN, no matter what. Here's what you should be learning:

1. How a bill becomes a law (and before some of you employed start snickering, let me tell you that I KNOW a lot of YOU weren't paying attention in school as well).

2. What the current bill being discussed in the Senate, HR 4851, is for. How long would it extend unemployment benefits, if passed, and what's it mean FOR ME?

3. What the long-term extension, HR 4213, is about,and what's being worked on with it. Is there a Tier V that would give someone who's already used their 99 weeks more benefits? (ANSWER: NO!!!!!! But we NEED ONE and we're working hard to GET ONE--and so should you!). What does it mean FOR ME, then, if it passes?

4. Regarding my claim, how many weeks have I received? How many weeks am I eligible for in my state as of right now? How many weeks are there in each tier (level) of benefits? So where am I in all this?

[msanonymous222]

12:12 PM on 04/14/2010

There is a reason (besides not having ready access to a computer) that there are not 15 million signatures on the Tier V to Survive petition. http://www.change.org/petitions/view/the_99ers_need_a_tier_v_added_to_unemployment_benefits That reason? Because some of the unemployed, in their non-understanding of benefits (NOT their laziness in finding work--that's just crap to assume, and mostly assumed by arrogant employed), do not understand that there is a 99 week limit. Even many media outlets STILL don't understand that the long-term extension of HR 4213, currently languishing in the House, is merely an extension of eligibility for benefits, not an extension beyond 99 weeks of payments. And many, if they do understand it, are simply choosing to not publicize it.

Many of our own unemployed don't understand, either. They should (in the end), but they don't. And our state Department of Labor agencies, which issues these monies, DO NOT GIVE TIMELY, CONCISE, DETAILED INFORMATION AND PROVIDE COMPETENT EMPLOYEES. (Don't even get me started on that one!) And so that petition does not have NEARLY the number of signatures it should have. It should have millions and millions of signatures! But unemployed people, it is time to get it in gear.

[the mack]

09:43 AM on 04/19/2010

This quote is becoming your reality -- "We should make the poor uncomfortable and kick them out of poverty." Also, read the latest Deseret News article, it will put in perspective why asking for longer handout is a poor decision.

[msanonymous222]

12:11 PM on 04/14/2010

Unemployed? Some of us are not doing our share. We have some great media attention--media that "gets it"--thank you, Arthur Delaney--and many unemployed are not active participants to get our huuuuuuuuuuuuuge problem solved!

I am both appalled and saddened by the ignorance of some of my fellow unemployed about their own claims. This is directed to the hundreds of posters whose posts I've read on various forums who literally just have no clue about their own benefits or what's going on with the eligibility for benefits through pending and future (and recent past) legislation. "Does this mean I get more weeks?" "I'm on week 100 and I tried to certify and it won't let me." "If I'm on Tier I and it ends this week (April 18), does this mean I get Tier II?" Some do not even know how a bill becomes a law, assuming that if it passes one chamber instead of both chambers, voila--it's law.

It's time to get involved. It's time to open your eyes.

[msanonymous222]

12:31 PM on 04/14/2010

Please read my four comments last to first. I asked moderator to adjust postings to correct the order, and moderator didn't. But thank you for keeping all four!

[arcwind]

10:44 AM on 04/14/2010

To some degree, my wish is that all of the Republicans in Congress will be told by President Obama that as of today, there services are no longer needed and are now laid off from their government post for an uncertain amount of time and that all of their benefits including insurance and everything else has been terminated due to the state of the economy. And then I would like for the Democrats to tell them, Oh we are sorry, we are not able to provide unemployment benefits to you at this time. How would you react to this? What would be your next step? What would happen to all of the things you have worked so hard to obtain over the years? What happens when you can't afford to pay for that expensive house and car that you have always been able to pay for? What happens to your children in college of which you are paying for their tuition?

This is where so many Americans are right now because of no fault of their own, but because of the status of the economy. You want to keep taking away something to help people get back on their feet. This is so sad. Apparently this is the kind of America we live in today.

[blewvelvet]

10:53 PM on 04/14/2010

I agree..those nasty Republican's petty attempt to victimize the unemployed is really the "kicker" after the crap they pulled the past 12 years.

I've been unemployed for 3 years...my job of 14 years prior is now in India at $1.50 an hour. I ran out of unemployment after 8 months. I'm getting some jobs here and there..but mostly I'm pulling in about $500-$800 a month. It's a disgrace to those in charge. I have about 2 months away from not being able to afford rent..AND I even have a roommate.

I think a family needs to double up and get a large home and share with 2 to 3 other families. It's the only way I can see people surviving without having shanty towns start to show up. Communal living and sharing resources may be the way to go.

For those die hard capitalists...this is what you get.."communal living"...due to a deregulated capitalist system.

Thanks Republitards!

[jhnstknn 1]

09:50 AM on 04/14/2010

the tier 5 to survive petition is almost to 10,000 !! there are still many people that do not have phone or internet service anymore that need to be informed.some one said that www.freepress.com was helping.? this bill only extends the dates---not the benefits!!! www.unemployed-friends.com have put up more info we need to also call our local news stations and papers to see why they are not covering us. are they not reporters???????. www.change.org has the petition for tier 5 to survive also. post comments on all reports given about the bill on the web.I have had people from all over the usa not being informed. inform people!!!!

[JimH443]

07:06 AM on 04/14/2010

Thank you for calling this what it is: Reauthorization. Far too many articles call this an extension. While it is technically an extension, using that term confuses people into thinking that it's adding weeks of benefits.

As many are beginning to learn, it does no such thing. If you have exhausted your 99 weeks, the politicians in Washington don't give a rats ass about you. In their eyes, you don't exist.

At Change.org there is a petition to tell the folks in DC that WE need help. Please, even if you are still employed I am begging you to sign this:

http://www.change.org/petitions/view/the_99ers_need_a_tier_v_added_to_unemployment_benefits

[psychobombshell]

04:43 AM on 04/14/2010

To all those idiots out there that keep telling us to get off our butts and work, I'm assuming you have jobs already and aren't looking. You don't know how hard it is out there, because you're lucky enough to still have jobs that can let you be snooty and look down on us folks in the trenches. I would love a job, any job. But, it just hasn't happened. I'm either not qualified or overqualified or under educated. I've tried. For every 40 resumes I send out or application I turn in, I maybe get 3 callbacks and maybe 1 interview. So, yeah I'm fine with them extending benefits. I paid into it for years, and until I can pay into it again, i'm taking my share.