The exploitation of the Senate rules to obstruct the majority will has reach it's inevitable but inane endpoint.
Sen. Jim Bunning has single-handedly forced the furlough of 2,000 transportation workers and cut off hundreds of thousands unemployed Americans from critical assistance -- benefits that stimulate the overall economy for everyone.
That's what happens when the congressional minority filibusters at a "record-setting pace" to make it impossible to govern. People lose jobs.
The White House is seeking to step up the pressure on Bunning.. CQ Politics reports that "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Congress must stop playing 'political games' and pointed the finger at Sen. Jim Bunning , R-Ky. ... [His office] released a state-by-state list of federal lands construction projects that are affected -- a list designed to catch lawmakers' attention. The projects span 17 states, as well as Washington, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands."
What's the response from Senate Republicans today? Are they pressuring Bunning to stop? Apparently not. According to CQ Politics, they're trying to shift blame to House Democrats for not immediately passing the Senate jobs bill, which has nothing to do with the damage Bunning's filibuster has already caused.
What was Sen. Bunning's response to this today? To flash his middle finger to an ABC reporter asking him questions.
Seriously.
What can you do to help jack up the pressure?
Campaign for America's Future is calling on the Senate Republican leadership to rein in their reckless filibusterer. We've created a Twitter-based petition at http://act.ly/1qo that allows Twitter users to tell the Senate Republican leadership directly: "stop holding unemployed Americans hostage to your obstruction agenda."
The cruel and callous obstructionist tactics must end if we are to put America back to work and start governing our country like adults.
Originally posted at OurFuture.org
UPDATE: Now Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, minutes ago on the floor, is making it clear that they side against extending aid to the jobless: "It could be argued it [unemployment insurance] is a disincentive for work because people are being paid even though they are not working." More here.
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Bunning continued, “I support the underlying [unemployment extension] legislation and support those who are out of work and need a helping hand. What I do not support is the hypocrisy displayed by Senate Democrats. Just over a month ago Democrats passed pay-go legislation and then turned around and waived it for the next two major pieces of legislation that were considered by the Senate. What was the point of passing pay-go legislation? If Democrats continue to ignore their own rules I will oppose future legislation that is not paid for.”
with all the other obstructions the republicans have thrown into the faces of the American people come November.
One very curious thing: HOW does the tea party have so much time to meet and march? I have a job, and do not have any time to march on main street, much less Washington. Are these people on unemployment? A good journalist (if any are left) should find this out....
"On December 18, 2008, the Lexington Herald Leader reported that Sen. Bunning's non-profit foundation, the Jim Bunning Foundation, has given less than 25 percent of its proceeds to charity. The charity has taken in $504,000 since 1996, according to Senate and tax records; during that period, Senator Bunning was paid $180,000 in salary by the foundation while working a reported one hour per week. Bunning Foundation board members include his wife Mary, and Cincinnati tire dealer Bob Sumerel. In 2008, records indicate that Bunning attended 10 baseball shows around the country and signed autographs, generating $61,631 in income for the charity.[36] "The whole thing is very troubling," said Melanie Slone, Executive Director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington."
And he is trying to take a Moral Stance?!?
Guess after all that, there's nothing much left to give to the peasants.
Durbin gave him a chance to provide a bill to be voted on. However Bunning wants a guarantee that it will pass. However, obviously you can't guanrantee a passage of a vote without having a bill & it's voted on & you can't in reality predict the future.
Bunning is holding up America. And is screwing Americans out of jobs, unemployment, and the progress of creating jobs.
Bunning's position is to adhere to PAYGO, which was just passed. What is outrageous is how duplicitous the rest of the members are, that they can pass a bill like that just to look good with every intention of ignoring it.
No one is going to miss an unemployment check over this. Unless of course Congress keeps on passing bills which raise our debt and never reduce it. If they do that, eventually we will all be in trouble.
I would have regular business from 8:00 AM to 4:00PM, I would start each day with a cloture vote. Those Senators that vote yes would be scheduled to debate from 4:00PM till midnight, those that vote no would be scheduled to debate from midnight till 8:00AM. I would then have another cloture vote and if it gets 60% (Not 60 votes) then I would immediately have an up or down vote on that bill. I would look at the 290 bills that have been passed by the House and bring up the bill that had the biggest bipartisian support and work my way down from there. For those that complain I would just say that their principles most not be that important for them to lose any sleep over.
Wall St.
Pharma/Health industry
Who represents us anymore?
The real obstacle is the corporate owned media that supports the 4 big insustries that are too big to fail or reform
Wall St
Big oil/ energy
Pharma/health insurance
war profiteers
If yo listen carefully to Beck, Rush Hannity and Fox they always come down on the side of these 4 industries and these 4 industries own the majority of the messengers.
(ii!ii) back to bunning and the rest of these republicans. Perhaps bunning should give his Medicare and Social Security back to the treasury to apply to the balance of the decifit created by bush/chaney in their wars.
2000 North Carolinans are out of work Monday (not "unemployment" but work), thanks to this one coward.
I think we all know now that the Iraq war was personal for bush, and his family money should pay for it.