Unemployment Extension In Agonizing Endgame Slog: When Will The Checks Go Out?

As Congress enters the final stage of an agonizing slog to reauthorize unemployment benefits, the 2.5 million long-term jobless who missed checks because of congressional dithering want to know: How soon are we going to get our money?

There's no good answer.

"Once the President signs the bill, states will move as quickly as possible to resume Emergency Unemployment Compensation payments, but it will not happen overnight," Rich Hobbie, who heads the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, said in a statement to HuffPost. "Because the program has lapsed for over a month, state workforce agencies need to ensure that claimants qualify for all retroactive payments. In addition, the time it takes will vary from state to state because states use various technologies, some of which are quite antiquated."

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats spent Wednesday dueling over which party is wasting the most time. Republicans, sore from the other side's name-calling -- earlier in the day the White House said GOP delay tactics would cause '30 more hours of suffering' -- eagerly seized on news that members of House Democratic leadership would be attending a birthday fundraiser Wednesday evening for Rep. Jim Clyburn (R-S.C.).

"How will Washington Democrats look themselves in the face tomorrow morning if -- after using Americans who are struggling to find work as a political bludgeon -- they skip out on their responsibilities tonight to party with lobbyists and raise campaign cash?" asked Michael Steel, an aide to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).

House Democrats countered that the party's not holding up the bill. Because the Senate won't vote on final passage until mid evening, the bill wouldn't make it onto the House floor for its final-final vote until after midnight.

"Are you serious?" said Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), in an email response regarding Steel's comment. "The Senate hasn't passed it yet. It takes 4-5 hours to go through rules, debate, floor and final passage. House Democrats passed UI 7 weeks ago and now all of a sudden Republicans are concerned about the plight of the unemployed? Give me a break. It will be signed into law and it will be clear Republicans were the ones responsible for pain and suffering they caused families all across America."

Clyburn spokeswoman Kristie Greco had a similar response: "Really? The spokesperson for House Republicans, the group that contributed to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the loss of 8 million American jobs, and delayed the extension of unemployment benefits to those out-of-work Americans for 7 weeks, is now fighting for working families?"

Even if the House voted on Wednesday, like Rich Hobbie said, the checks aren't going out overnight.

David Smith, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, told HuffPost he couldn't say how soon unemployment claimants who missed checks will be paid. "We will file all claims as expeditiously as possible," he said. "The most paramount thing is to get this money into hands of claimants as quickly and as efficiently as possible. We do ask all claimants to be patient."

Norm Isotalo of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency told HuffPost, "We're ready to go ... We have teams of staff ready to begin processing these claims." But he couldn't say how quickly payments would be distributed.

Comments

[rostraw]

12:34 PM on 07/27/2010

As I have said in past. I have voted republican and democratic in the past. Hoping it was for the right person. It is obvious there are some republicans that can see the end of there nose, sighting the two senators from Maine whom voted for the unemployment extension. However, as a whole the party of "NO" has appalled me, and I might add Ben Nelson of Nebraska a democrat. You need go no further that to look at who voted for and against the unemployment extension. To make your choice this November. I myself will never vote for a republican again. But this legislation gave no regard to the 99er's. We must do something about this, so email your representatives and let's get it done for the 99er's. Whom I have a great deal compassion for. Don't let the republicans again get control of congress. We have to make sure and send a message to the republican party and some democrats that we know what time it is. 55 year old United States Jaycee Ambassador #2361

[professor 1954]

04:33 PM on 07/24/2010

Thank you Democrats for understanding the American People. Republicans SUCK ..

[sueinmn]

07:43 AM on 07/24/2010

And NOTHING for the 99ers! Not even a headline. Congress now picks and chooses who survives and who falters. The unemployed are unemployed regardless if they have been out of work for two weeks or two years! How can they pick and choose WHO survives now???????????

[guveqzero]

06:31 AM on 07/23/2010

There will be a lot more name calling of Republicans after this episode. They are morally deficient. Anyone voting for. Republican supports taking from the poor and gifting to the rich, punishing the poor for being poor and laughing in the face of people in dispair. Republicans have no place in the new world order.

[triplec]

03:07 PM on 07/22/2010

The endless unemployment extensions are hard to justify when I am scraping by having to do whatever it takes to pay my bills. As a “self-employed” / “freelancer” / “independent consultant” for the same company for 5 years I lost my income when the company went bankrupt. . I've cut down everything to the bone and beyond. Sold off personal property. Taken work way below my level, almost entry level. Moved downward in housing. But the “no-work pay” for others keeps getting extended and extended and extended supported by Federal Tax dollars. It leaves a bad taste. Either widen benefits to include the rest of us who did not work on staff or let us all stew in the same thin soup. Maybe more families hung out over the hairy, ragged edge will develop some political will. There is a difference between state and federal unemployment benefits. Federal unemployment benefits extend state unemployment benefits out to 26 weeks. They must be explicitly passed by Congress. They're paid for out of our federal tax dollars we all pay. A law firm should start a class action suit for "us" who have paid taxes but don't qualify for benefits including the 1 year worth of cobra subsidies.

[Adartist777]

03:44 PM on 07/22/2010

There should be a way for owners of small businesses and contract workers to pay into the unemployment system. As a matter of fact, that would probably make the system stronger.

[sueinmn]

07:44 AM on 07/24/2010

You could have paid into the UI Insurance prgram but no doubt chose not to.

[Hoping4daBest]

02:14 PM on 07/22/2010

FINAL vote on extending UnE (HR 4213, bill extending long-term benefits for jobless) just finished...

Bill PASSED by simple majority (272-152)

D=241 Yes, 10 No
r=31 Yes, 142 No
9 No votes

Whew-hoo! DEMS rock! Bill now going to Pres for signiture!!!!!! Stay tuned...

http://c-span.com/Watch/C-SPAN.aspx

[Stepper Seven]

03:01 PM on 07/22/2010

TY for the moment 2 moment update!

[Hoping4daBest]

02:02 PM on 07/22/2010

FINAL vote on extending UnE still underway on House floor..Dems leading

http://c-span.com/Watch/C-SPAN.aspx

[Hoping4daBest]

01:42 PM on 07/22/2010

FINALLY, voting has begun on Exy UnE

[Danchi]

01:40 PM on 07/22/2010

Boehner Lies About Bush Tax Cuts and Deficits By Jon Perr Saturday Jun 12, 2010 http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/boehner-lies-about-bush-tax-cuts-and-deficits

"Reagan," Dick Cheney famously said in 2002, "proved deficits don't matter." Until, that is, a Democrat is in the White House. And it so was on Friday, when House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) insisted the Bush tax cuts did not help produce a hemorrhage of red ink from the U.S. Treasury. Of course, the national debt didn't just double during Bush's tenure. As it turns out, the Bush tax cut windfall for the wealthy accounted for almost half the budget deficits during his presidency and the lion's share over the next decade.

As The Hill reported Thursday, Rep. Boehner in his discussion of the deficit conveniently omitted mention of the Republican mismanagement which helped produce it. Claiming increased spending to fight the Bush recession is "scaring the hell out of the American people," Boehner wrongly declared:

Leave aside for the moment that President Bush authored the worst eight-year economic record of any modern president or that John Boehner like other Republicans is trying to give the GOP credit for the Clinton boom (which also occurred during a time of higher tax rates. John Boehner's myth-making notwithstanding, it was precisely the Bush tax cuts which devastated the Treasury.

How can you tell when a republican is lying-their lips are moving.

[Danchi]

01:26 PM on 07/22/2010

P2.
George W. Bush immediately reversed Clinton's policy in order to revive Reagan's, once again showering an embarrassment of riches on the already most embarrassingly rich, his base as he calls them. He ladled out some $630 billion in tax cuts to the top 1% of income earners. In true Republican fashion, they returned the favor by investing over $200 million to ensure Bush's re-election. Do the math. A $630 billion return on a $200 million investment: $3,160 for $1. I'll give you $3,160. All I ask is that you give me $1 back so I can keep the goodness flowing. Do we have a deal? Republicans know return on investment.

But the cost to the public has been a return to the exploding deficits of the Reagan years. Bush blew through Clinton's surplus in his first year. The 2004 deficit reached $415 billion, a record. Still, its real size is masked by the fact that Bush has shifted $150 billion from the Social Security trust fund in order to make the shortfall look smaller. It's like pretending you're richer when you move money from one pocket to another. Both sums have to be repaid, so the real amount borrowed is the $415 billion "nominal" deficit plus the $150 billion from Social Security or $565 billion.

[bongoboy]

01:16 PM on 07/22/2010

republicans are addicted to cruelty it seems...

[bongoboy]

01:13 PM on 07/22/2010

parents have been telling their children for over 6 weeks now that the government doesnt care about them anymore.

we need to make absolutely sure we tell EVERYBODY we know to put the proper blame on the republicans at every opportunity. tell strangers at the bus stops, tell EVERYBODY!

[bongoboy]

12:58 PM on 07/22/2010

note to all republicans: this is NOT a gift. This is NOT welfare. This is not a handout. This is not wrong.

THIS is unemployment insurance. whether or not someone does not like the term, it is an entitlement, and you are entitled to it if you qualify. it is guaranteed if you lose your job through no fault of your own. its deducted from your paycheck; check your state tax line on your paycheck stub; its right there. Americans pay into this weekly, and now republicans are trying to steal it from good Americans.

the extension is an emergency funding, like hurricane relief funding, or, say, flooding or other wide spread disaster. emergency funding is rarely allocated funds, the emergency is the priority, the cost of the emergency funding is to be determined at a later date. the emergency funding being distributed ASAP to Americans is the essence of emergency funding, everybody knows this, ESPECIALLY the republicans!

many republicans here say that this is not true. it is actually exactly true.

[Hoping4daBest]

01:08 PM on 07/22/2010

You tell 'em, Bongo!

We all pay into the system, in one way or another, and urge the House to PASS this emergency funding TODAY so that the Pres can sign it TODAYand provide 2.1 unemployed fellow Americans with emergency financial assistance!

[bongoboy]

01:11 PM on 07/22/2010

poor kids; i feel bad for them; how does a parent tell their kids they cant eat dinner tonite because the government didnt care... sad, very very sad and pathetic of republicans!

[TeraWatt60]

01:11 PM on 07/22/2010

they are too busy listening blindly to Beck or the fountain of phony information Faux News

[bongoboy]

01:15 PM on 07/22/2010

tin foil hat not optional; required! ;)

[Hoping4daBest]

12:56 PM on 07/22/2010

Okay, Rs the "pay for it" argument against Ext UnE benefits is getting old on the House floor already...because OUR tax $, OUR unemployment $, and OUR sweat equity are all how you all "pay for it".it being fancy suits, dinners, etc. Pass the Ext UnE bill so that suffering Americans can keep their dignity, respect, and self-worth as they "pay" into our economic system which helps you all keep yours.

[bongoboy]

01:08 PM on 07/22/2010

this is why the entire republican argument is a lie; they are trying to fool good honest Americans today.

this 34 billion dollars is relative chump change, in comparison to the trillion dollar plus tax cut the republicans want for the rich selfish people, who are firing people and not hiring, despite earning record quarterly business profits. the rich are sitting on their money instead of reinvesting in ther businesses by hiring more workers.

people spend their money at businesses, supporting their businesses and good profits, only to be given in return the middle finger to the face to consumers everywhere. we consumers float businesses, and we can sink businesses. wake up corporate fat cats; we own you, you dont own us!

meanwhile the republicans refuse to pay for the tax cut for the rich, more than 1 trillion dollars, unpaid for!

republicans are lying hypocrates America!

[TeraWatt60]

12:41 PM on 07/22/2010

If the whining disingenuous (read lying) Repug/Bagger/Con axis is really so concerned about the deficit they have their chance to prove it by letting their failed Bush Error Tax Cuts for the Rich expire OR offset them ....it is at least 20x more deficit reduction and doesn't affect struggling people feeding their families...but, as is usual, the Repugs are in favor of "Plutocrats Now,Plutocrats Tomorrow and Plutocrats Forever"