Republicans Must Stop Playing Politics With Unemployment Benefits

More than 7,000 people across the country are losing their unemployment benefits every single day because Republicans are playing politics. Hardworking, middle class families, who are already cutting coupons and squeezing pennies to make ends meet, are now going to have the last strand of the safety net pulled right out from under them, simply because Republicans are obstructing progress.

Last week, the majority of my colleagues and I moved twice to extend unemployment benefits for millions of hardworking Americans who have been laid off and unable to find work in this difficult economy. These are our families, our friends, our neighbors. We all know someone who has been thrown into this situation.

But rather than do what is right, Republicans did what was politically convenient, twice blocking the extension in an effort to derail other economic recovery programs.

This week my colleagues and I will try again to extend the badly needed payments for another 13 weeks. It is my hope that Republicans will drop their obstruction and join with us to extend unemployment benefits to tens of thousands of hardworking Americans.

With almost 14 million people unemployed around the country, the U.S. unemployment rate is approaching 10 percent; right here in New York, it's 8.9% and 10.3% in New York City. Without an extension, tens of thousands of New Yorkers and about a million of our long-term unemployed nationwide will lose benefits by the end of the year. We must not allow this to happen, especially as the holidays approach. As our economic recovery continues to take shape, it's crucial that we not forget about those families who are hurting the most, still struggling to find work in a very difficult job market.

When I travel throughout New York, I speak to many who are struggling. They tell me how hard they are looking for jobs, that there simply aren't any. When there is a job opening, hundreds of applicants show up and line up around the block for a chance to get hired. These are hard working people who would much prefer to work to put food on their table rather than accept a check from the government. But until our economy recovers to a point where it's creating jobs at a sustainable pace, we must step in to help.

Extending unemployment benefits is not only the morally right thing to do, it is good economic policy in a recession. These unemployment benefits not only put money in the hands of those that need it most, but they are immediately stimulative to the economy, as families use the funds for the most critical needs.

So far this year in New York alone, 70,000 people in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region have collected unemployment benefits, 78% of whom relied on those benefits for their basic necessities; in the Hudson Valley region, more than 90,000 collected the benefits, 68% of whom relied on that income for their basic needs; more than 125,000 Long Island residents collected unemployment benefits, 76% of whom relied on that money to support their families; and in New York City, nearly 400,000 people collected unemployment benefits, 67% of whom relied on that money for their basic needs.

The job market is historically the last step of an economic recovery, forcing the unemployed to bear the brunt of the recession the longest and making it increasingly difficult to find new work. It's simply unfair and unreasonable to ask them to bear this burden without assistance, and I hope Republicans will stop obstructing and join us in helping our fellow Americans in their time of need.

Comments

[Philip N. Cohen - Huffpost Blogger]

Helping those who lose jobs is economically stimulating as well as helpful for people in hard times. But the already-poor are stuck behind many of the recent job-losers in the labor market queue. I'd like to see a moratorium on term-limits, so single mothers aren't get kicked off welfare (TANF) and forced to compete with more experienced workers during this crisis. Wrote on this at http://www.familyinequality.com.

[ProgressiveVoice]

Well, I still have a part time job; less than 10 hrs/wk, often less than 5 hrs, so I get UI benefits for being underemployed. Unfortunately, it's now been two years and my benefit dropped from the max to less than $100/wk. Extend unemployment AND keep benefits the same during extended unemployment.

[darker]

REPUBLICAN = TOO RICH TO CARE ! !

[spinmas]

SHE DOES NOT GET IT, DEMS ARE HOLDING THE BILL UP OVER WEATHER OR NOT TO TAX TO PAY FOR THE EXTENSION OR AS THE REPUBS WANT, TO USE STIMULUS MONEY ALREADY THERE. I AM A DEM AND I AGREE WITH THE REPUBLICANS, THEY NEGOTIATED THE PUBLIC OPTION OFFF THE TABLE WITH THE HEALTH CARE BILL, WHY CAN' T THE DEMS AGREE TO PAY FOR THE EXTENSION WITH THE STIMULUS MONEY, SOMETHING STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN, THEY ARE ON C-SPAN2 TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE UI EXTENSION BILL....ROME IS BURNING WHILE THE SEANTE PLAYS THE FIDDLE./

[Flavor]

Senator Gillibrand, you get it. Not only is it fair to extend unemployment but those of us that are working should also be thankful because as we can see now, jobs are no longer here for 30 years or more. We the people should also give our neighbors a helping hand, it's not just left up to the government to do the job, if we all pitch in we can make it. Keep up the good work, Senator Gillibrand.

[kankankan]

thanks for sticking up for us folks and standing up to the Repubs, keep it up

[LeftLeanWing]

I'm starting to like Sen Kirsten Gillibrand A LOT !!!!!!

[Robert999]

The Petition to the Senate to Pass S.1699 (H.R. 3548) has now reached 1200+ signatures. Please continue to notify friends and relatives of the Petition and please continue to post the Petition link on other websites. The Petition contains the powerful stories of many of the unemployed. Hopefully, we can get the national media interested in the Petition and the stories of the unemployed. Thank You!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/pass-the-unemployment-bill

[Shwazy]

This seems shocking to those of us left of Atilla the Hun, but it plays right into the republican narrative.

Extending unemployment benefits is a tacit admission that the free market isn't producing jobs. They can't admit that, as it runs directly counter to the narrative that the government can't do anything right.

You see, if you are perpetually campaigning on the basis that the government can't be a force for good, then you have to make that perception real by preventing the government from helping people.

The worst tragedy the GOP could face, as a party, is an effective and helpful Democratically-led government. This is anathema to their ideology, and as such, cannot be allowed to come to pass. They will do anything to prevent it from happening, as it would spell their collapse as a party.

It is also why now is the time for progressives to push, and push hard. They GOP is frightened of our success, and they should be.

[kankankan]

I work with a guy that is very conservative, very against any social safety net...one day he was going off about unemployment insurance, how you shouldn't make any money if you don't have a job..two weeks he was laid-off....He is a hard working guy, hussles, always working on projects, has positive attitude, lots of contacts etc...if you asked me who could find job by sheer will and hussle and chutzpah, I would have said him, but 6 months later, no job, just cash handy projects for friends and family.... I asked him if he was taking advantage of the govt COBRA subsidy and unemployment insurance (he was sole breadwinner for a family of four)...to which he said, Hell yes....Now I wonder if he would have preferred his taxes when he was working to be 0.05 precent lower and not have this social safety net now. About sums up Repubs, idealogy over own interests, hypocrisy when the moral rules of up-by-bootstraps, independenceetc... they want to apply to others come back to them and they longer abide by them

[lagumbo]

I am sure some of the republicans' teabaggers and right wingnuts will be affected. I am waiting to see how they react.

[playonwords]

They will probably just blame the President.

[Peter007]

Why not extend unemployment benefits to everyone that is unemployed. Why limit it to such a select few?

[Benton]

Playing politics is such a weak description of what they are doing to real peoples lives. There has to be a new phrase to describe this. It more like reckless endangerment of people lives. People will be evicted, some will go without heat or food as a result of this.

[LieutenantAmbiguous]

As I said to another person, I'm not sure if it is a testament to the power of the Republicans that they can wield such tremendous power from the grave, with their across-the-board minority status and single-digit approval ratings; or if it is a sign of the ineptitude of the democrats.

For God's sake, how much of a majority do they need in order to pass this legislation? Even if there were one lone Republican, I bet they'd blame him.

[darker]

REPUBLICANS = TOO RICH TO CARE, NOT INTERESTING IN ANYTHING EXCEPT
CORPORATE LOBBYIST $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Poor people don't pay Republicans BRIBES. They aren't represented.

[AlexTryst]

I'm loving the fact that someone in the Senate is actually willing to al least try to take on the roll left in Ted Kennedy's passing. Some staunch liberals are needed there, and Gillibrand obviously wants to try to fill those shoes in just about every issue she's written about at HuffPo. More power to her. Hope she gets re-elected when the time comes to continue the fight.

[dawnone]

This is hard to believe. At this point, unemployment benefits should be passed with automatic extensions for all states, until the unemployment rate falls below 5%.

I invite any elected representative who does not like the extensions to come up with a plan that will quickly create millions of high-paying jobs with good benefits. After the plan is implemented, is successful, then and only then, drop the unemployment extensions.

The government representatives that go on about the moral hazard of extending unemployment benefits are the same ones that gave trillions+ with no strings attached to the financial sector with no mandate to make loans to Main Street, with no meaningful financial accountability, and who continue to allow the Fed to provide the largest banks including, Goldman Sachs, with 0% loans which they in turn use only for speculation not loaning. Back to business as usual,their profits are private and we the people still cover the risk.

The crumbs of unemployment insurance seems a pittance compared to what is going to the richest among us.

[LieutenantAmbiguous]

So those who point out the moral hazard are not wrong??

And no, the ones who voted to give away money with no strings attached are, in all likelihood, NOT those who are hesitant to extend benefits longer. Please get your demons straight.

[den1953]

The Republican party are throwing every thing and any thing against the Democrats to gain votes that is the only thing they can come up with. They sat back and left Fox run there interference and that didn't work they want to obstruct any bill the Democrats want to do for the benefit of the American people. The only thing they can hope for and this is a long shot is run Republicans in the districts they feel they can win the trouble is there candidates are weak and make gaffs that make Sarah Palin look intelligent!