Out Of 400 Amendments, Just One For The Jobless

Of the 403 amendments submitted to a stopgap budget measure to fund the government through the rest of the current fiscal year, only one mentions the word "unemployment."

Legislation by Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) would provide an additional 14 weeks of benefits to Americans who have been out of work for six months or longer. Lee and Scott asked Republican leaders in the House of Representatives to consider the measure as an amendment to their "continuing resolution," the budget measure that funds the government through Sept. 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

Many of the 400 amendments will be pulled, but if the Lee-Scott item is deemed germane by the Rules Committee, it will see a vote on the House floor.

In a vote, however, Republicans would probably defeat the amendment, which would add roughly $16 billion to the budget deficit. Lee has said she will look for ways to offset the cost of the bill if Republicans block it because of its deficit impact, but in a letter to Republican leaders on Tuesday, Lee and Scott asked for an emergency designation that would exempt the bill from pay-as-you-go rules.

"We write to express our deep concern for the 13.9 million unemployed workers across the country, and especially the 6.2 million long-term unemployed who are in need of immediate assistance," Lee and Scott wrote. "While we all recognize the importance of fiscal responsibility, we equally recognize the need to address this state of emergency before millions of people go into poverty."

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that federal extensions of jobless benefits kept U.S. poverty levels below what would otherwise have been record levels in 2009.

The National Employment Law Project said last week that 3.9 million Americans ran out of unemployment benefits in 2010, based on an analysis of final payments made by states. The Lee-Scott legislation is aimed at "99ers" -- those who have exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of benefits available in some states without finding work -- though anyone out of work longer than six months would be eligible for the extra 14 weeks of help.

Comments

[thebearschick]

04:35 PM on 02/16/2011

I just wanna know why Obama is talking about high-speed rail. Our country is loaded under debt. We do not need high speed rail. We need jobs. We need to get out of debt. We need a lot of things but high speed rail isn't one of them

[cgrier61]

07:21 PM on 02/16/2011

I have a question for you. How, does a high speed rail line get built? I'm mean, judging from your statement, that you pay some money and the hight speed rail line just lands there. But in the real world, companies bid on the contracts to construct the rail lines, cars and engines and then hire workers to build and manufacture the many pieces of the rail system. Now, you said "we need jobs." right? Doesn't building a high speed rail system create jobs? You also said "We need to get out of debt." Do you know that our current deficit is skewed by high unemployment? (Yes, it is true so please don't launch into some bogus supply side diatribe.) Do you also know what someone who has a job does? Along with buying products and services, they also pay taxes and taxes = revenues.

[kdallas999]

04:35 PM on 02/18/2011

And why did the US expand highways in the depression and the railroads before that?

Because it creates a ton of jobs for non-working people jobs and sets up the country for business (employment) expansion in the future.

[Peppers Dad]

02:22 PM on 02/16/2011

Our Lax Dollars at Work (or something):

As of today, the salaries paid to GOP congressmen (and women) since they waltzed around that g*ddamned piece of paper (GWB) to open the 112th, is a tidy $6.3M. Gross wages either way you look at it.

[Rodger leMonde]

01:44 PM on 02/16/2011

So this is what was meant by a "laser focus on jobs", one pinpoint of light.

[dc2nm]

03:28 PM on 02/16/2011

Focused by Dems

[Rodger leMonde]

04:19 PM on 02/16/2011

Naturally. The GOP wants us all destitute to feed the fear.

[Maureen Mower]

01:07 PM on 02/16/2011

Yesterday John Boehner said that if more jobs would be lost due to the GOP's budget proposal, "so be it". Well then, if that's his attitude, then I say HIS job should be the first to go!

[ocean123]

11:59 AM on 02/16/2011

99ers are in dire need of extended benefits. We are down and out right now and anything would help us continue to seek work and do the things needed in finding jobs. Why our goverment continues to drag there feet and continue to push us aside as if we are going to go away is beyond me. Not only will we continue to fight we will hold those responsible in our next election. But in mass.

[MrBadExample]

08:21 AM on 02/16/2011

People voted for 'change' in 2010 as they voted for 'change' in 2008. the problem is that our choices on change are Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dummer. You're not going to get substantial 'change' out of either party as long as the same donors are buying the politicians off.

The dynamic in 2012 will be interesting--with Tea Party and wing-nuts being the biggest bloc of Repub primary voters, the GOP may end up with a candidate that alienates enough of the Country club repubs to flee. And there could be a left-challenge to Obama, especially if the Supremes vote down the insurance mandate. Without the insurance mandate, the insurance co's can't make affordable rates for people with pre-existing conditions. And if the whole thing blows up, Obama will not be able to defend his 'consensus' with the stakeholders to the folks who wanted Single Payer from the start.

[MrBadExample]

07:13 AM on 02/16/2011

Ape97   7 hours ago (12:00 AM)
64 Fans
Become a fan
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Democrats took over the House in 2006. They have controlled spending for 6 years and got thrown out by the voters last year for good reasons. They failed to stop borrowing and spending. America is going bankrupt
-----------------------------
The ELECTION was in 2006. The dems took over in 2007.

You're probably obsessed with 2006 because in August 2006, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson told Bush that the economy was headed off a huge cliff because of the reckless state of big banks that were leveraged 30x1 on their reserves and had built tranches of toxic mortgages that were now spread out worldwide. Paulson had the government's best research at his proposal.

And what did W do with this information? Did he go to the Hill and tell the new leadership? Did he call the SEC and tell them to crack down on the practices that were most risky?

Nope. He did what he did during Katrina. He did what he did in the classroom when told the US was under attack. He did NOTHING. And he played politics as usual when the incoming Dems tried to change the rules--he obstructed.

[kemcha]

06:00 AM on 02/16/2011

Congress needs to reform the unemployment compensation act so that every unemployed American can collect until business, retail and service industries start creating jobs and do their part in restoring the economy that Republicans and Big Business and Banks helped destroy.

Unfortunately, the reality of the truth is that Republicans are almost guaranteed to block any further bills that deal with unemployment compensation. They are under the belief that it should not be added onto the deficit, despite the fact that defense spending, pentagon budgets and Congressional budgets are all placed on the debt.

If Congress does not pass unemployment extensions for the 99ers, I can almost guarantee that our country is going to become embroiled into an economic and unemployment disaster that is going to see protests, riots and violence erupt, just like it had recently been done in Egypt.

[sobaytransplant]

03:23 AM on 02/16/2011

Wait... what? Are they telling us that Republicans really DON'T care about jobs for the average person now that they got themselves elected? Who would have seen THAT one coming?

[Maureen Mower]

12:48 PM on 02/16/2011

Fanned & faved... you actually put a smile on this 99er's face, and that's hard to do these days! Thanks!!

[dennidus1680]

04:10 PM on 03/02/2011

You mean what they campaigned on? Must have taken a lesson from Obama.

[democrats for life]

03:15 AM on 02/16/2011

the goverment wants all our jobs outside our borders, so they need to pay immediately, not just 14 weeks either, until the unemployment rate falls below 7 percent

[Kantinflas]

02:29 AM on 02/16/2011

Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans have a sure-fire plan for creating jobs. Lower wages, benefits, and regulations protecting workers, consumers, and the environment. Lower standards and standards of living to match those of the Third World where big business is hiring big-time. Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans also have a sure-fire strategy for enacting their plan: relentless and shameless appeal to the body politic's swollen amygdala rather than a miniscule cerebral cortex atrophied by neglect. Elections will do the rest.

[PeruvianFlakley]

07:50 AM on 02/16/2011

YAY Somalia!!!

[spinotter11]

09:25 PM on 02/16/2011

Minuscule!

[BadHaBritt]

02:00 AM on 02/16/2011

There is so much money in this country and it's tide up in the hands of a very few. Nothing will change until the other 99.5 demand it.

[MAX1]

01:40 AM on 02/16/2011

CONTACT SPEAKER BOEHNER TODAY

Washington, D.C. Office
1011 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
[phone]
[phone] fax

... be nice. Thanks.

[CenaW]

12:40 AM on 02/16/2011

Hey jobs?
Much more important to givie another $60 Billion to the oil producers.
Not to mention
Billions for the corporate farmers, like the rice growers subsidised at such a high level,
Haiti's farmers were ran out of business.

[MadeandBakedintheUSA]

05:53 AM on 02/16/2011

Koch Industries Facts- 2010's Dirtiest Opponent of Clean Energy: http://bit.ly/cVb9Gw / Purchaser of GOP/Teaparty elections

[applescruff]

12:34 AM on 02/16/2011

Complaining about high taxes is a method of bragging,exagerrating or dreaming that implies success All it really implies is arrogance and no idea what really matters in life..