Florida GOP Debate: Newt Gingrich Blasts 99ers Over Unemployment Insurance (VIDEO)

ORLANDO -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was asked during Thursday night's GOP debate what he would do about unemployment insurance, particularly in regard to those unemployed workers who had exhausted their 99 weeks of benefits.

Gingrich called for reform in the current system so that each state would have the ability to create its own worker-incentive program in exchange for insurance payments -- something that the Obama administration has gravitated toward doing in the jobs package the president recently presented.

Then, however, the former speaker suggested that benefits were being abused by people who were more interested in living off the government dime than in finding actual work.

"It is fundamentally wrong to give people money for 99 weeks for doing nothing," he said.

Most studies of unemployment insurance have showed that lethargy is not a side effect of providing help to the unemployed. The money that is being distributed simply doesn't cover the salary lost from not having a job.

The more cynical minded would argue that Gingrich's condemnation of welfare insurance resembles the type of class warfare that Republicans are often deriding... only in reverse.

Comments

[CamPac]

11:50 AM on 10/14/2011

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[G Bax]

11:20 AM on 10/11/2011

In reply to: “I paid into unemployment all these years"
People are always being corrected about the incorrect comment “I paid into unemployment all these years". Only to be corrected by someone indicating you don't pay into unemployment your employer does.
I look at it this way, if it wasn't for my work as an employee my employer wouldn't have the funds to pay into unemployment.
This money doesn't just come out of his pocket or thin air; it comes from the revenue generated by his employees. Therefore his payment into unemployment is a direct result of our work.
That's how we pay into unemployment thru our services.

[tsram]

09:21 PM on 10/01/2011

Maybe the unemployed would be in better shape if they were paid the unemployment insurance premiums directly, (in the form of a higher wage from employer), instead of being paid a lesser wage and hoping that the government will let them have what they have worked for.

[Joe Harvey]

01:10 PM on 09/29/2011

Does everyone understand by now (apparently not the GOP) that our country has been hemorrhaging jobs for 3 years now, can we finally at least agree on that? The best our country can do in the years 2009 thru 2011 is provide 99 weeks of modest monetary help to its citizens that have been attacked by Wall Street and their jobs have suffered the same fate as the battle ships at Pearl Harbor. 99 weeks and see ya wouldn't wanna be ya, good luck to you and your family and God bless. This is the huge problem with capitalism, how do people survive during times of economic crisis when there are not enough opportunities for everyone to participate?

[Joe Harvey]

11:37 AM on 09/29/2011

Does Mr. Gingrich understand that people receiving unemployment insurance (99ers) all were working citizens before the Great Recession??? Does he understand that there are little to no job opportunities out there in the real world and there has not been for almost 3 years now??? Does he understand that this is what unemployment insurance was created for when as a nation we are experiencing a situation where there are just not enough jobs available for all that want one??? Does he understand that unemployment insurance is used to help keep people afloat until our capitalistic society can generate enough jobs for all??? What does Mr. Gingrich expect the 46 million people out of work through no fault of there own to do to keep their families feed and clothed and sheltered til jobs become available, wait for the kindness of strangers, beg on street corners, turn to crime, curl up in a ball in the woods and die????

Give me a break, we are experiencing the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression and Newt doesn't think people should get any help for doing nothing like trying to find a job or trying to learn new skills to get a job once our economy comes back if it ever does.

This man is a moron!

[mjclear]

07:19 PM on 09/28/2011

I agree with Newt. Don't give the unemployed any money: let them hang out around his house and eat from his dumpster so that we can become the Third World country that Republicans want to build from the ashes of our once great democracy.

[Jeff Klenck]

03:43 PM on 09/27/2011

Great statement Newt. You would know.........you do nothing and get paid..your the worst kind of offender.

[Michael Thornton]

11:56 PM on 09/26/2011

Clueless Newt types find it easy to pick on the least fortunate. There are 8 people available for every job opening if you include discouraged workers and the underemployed who want full tie work. Why do these clueless GOPers keep harping on the unemployed when it was GOP policies that caused this Great Recession?

[Fiona54]

12:03 PM on 10/29/2011

The Republicans will continue to deny any responsibility as to the recession. They in reality caused this, helped along by Democrats who caved in and agreed to the bailouts for the financial sector. The result of all of this is happening now. Civil unrest and demonstrations all over this country. I don't see anyone in Washington really paying attention to the Wall Street Demonstrations. I guess the "let them eat cake" attitude is ruling the day.

[Tired of the Bullies]

09:19 PM on 09/26/2011

Exaclty how are 99ers milking the system when
1...they have been unemployed for 184 weeks in most cases
2...99 weeks is the max you an collect
3...would like to know who has my cow because I havnt had milk in 1 year and 4 months...
4...Republican party needs to get knowledgable before they open their mouths on topics they dont have a clue about..

[TMMA]

09:18 PM on 09/26/2011

We pay a heck of a lot of our elected officials for doing nothing and I don't hear the Newts of this country screaming about THAT.

[swoosie1]

03:12 AM on 09/26/2011

This man is arrogant to a degree that is seldom found to be acceptible in civilized society, yet somehow he continues to gain approval from those in his party. I watch him lap up the cheers during the republican debates and he looks a lot like a child, whose parents clap when their child takes a dump on the potty.

[jhsinius]

05:31 PM on 09/25/2011

Newt is another big lier, he's no more a professor than I am. If you talk yourself in believing it, I guess anything is possible. I know that the college would know their staff!

[jhsinius]

05:29 PM on 09/25/2011

Newt, Newt, go sit down somewhere. You will never be a primary candidate for president, so you might as well withdraw!

[premenos57]

12:54 PM on 09/25/2011

Newt, go pay off your million dollar jewelry spending spree. You want to become POTUS so you can pay it from taxpayer money.

[askandtell]

10:37 AM on 09/25/2011

This is an example of pandering to the group in front of you. Another example of Republicans wanting to view complex issues with narrow-minded black&white solutions. This is assuming all unemployed have the same level of education and background and could benefit from a one size, fits all training program.