Senate expected to OK unemployment benefits extension today

“Obama said: “[Republicans] say we shouldn’t provide unemployment insurance because it costs money.”

He’s a liar. The republicans said to pay for it using $34 billion from the hundreds of billions remaining in the stimulus slush fund. Harry Reid said no.

Republicans are only insisting on using Obama’s PayGo policy that he and the democrats claimed everyone was to follow.

It’s interesting how none of that is in the article and readers would have never known the truth without reading my comments. Nice “journalism” there, Annie.

I have been employed continuously for 40 years in the construction industry up until october of 2008.
After all these years and without notice my unemployment benefits were stopped.
I find it ludicrous that afer 19 months of trying to secure new employment I have 1500 applications processed with 5 interviews at half the salary. Where’s the beef as promised by this stimulus package? Why are the benefits that were taken out of my salary for 40 years? Where’s the interest on these benefits taken for 40 years?
The US congress approves funds for numerous foreign countries yet they have reservations in assisting their own people who are the butt of this legislative joke. They take a vacation when the people who elected them are hurting. This is a slap in the face for all american people not just the unemployed.

I should hope today they not only vote the extension but work on providing new employment opportunities needed to stimulate the american economy now not 10 years from now.
Sincerely,

Martin E. Oliverio

Obama is a Liar?Well Dennis why not face up to the fact that the BIGGEST Liars are THE REPUBLICANS!WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION?STARTING A SENSELESS WAR BASED ON FALSE INFORMATION THAT PUT THE DEFECIT WAY INTO THE RED!WAKE UP!!!!

Sounds like you’re employed Dennis, but am wondering what “stimulus slush fund” are you referring to? The Republicans are making their stand on the backs of the unemployed as Obama said. On the contrary, Annie did an excellent job of even handed reporting and letting the country know how the Republicans are trying to take this country down.

Not a word is said here about the exemption added to bar registered former sex offenders from getting their unemployment benefits. Is that punitive, discriminatory, unconstitutional provision still attached to the bill?

So, am I reading this incorrectly or does the statement “federal extensions only continue in states with higher than an 8 percent unemployment rate” mean that the unemployed in Minnesota would not qualify for any additional benefits even with the passage of this bill?

What about the FOUR MILLION AMERICANS THAT ARE GOING HOMELESS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT FIND A JOB, EXHAUSTED THEIR 4TH TIER EXTENSION BACK IN EITHER FEBRUARY OR MARCH (DEPENDING ON WHAT STATE A PERSON LIVES IN), AND NOW THE PRESIDENT & THE ENTIRE SENATE REFUSES TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR CRITICAL NEED OF A 5TH TIER EXTENSION??

WHAT A DISGRACE!!

HOW CAN THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT 2.5 MILLION AMERICANS NEED AN EXTENSION OF TIME TO APPLY FOR ONE OF THE FIRST FOUR TIERS BUT SAY NOTHING ABOUT THE 4 MILLION THAT ARE GOING HOMELESS AND NEED A LIFE-LINE VIA A 5TH TIER EXTENSION??

POLITICS AS USUAL. BUT NOVEMBER IS ON 3 1/2 MONTHS AWAY AND THESE USELESS AND DISGRACEFUL POLTICIANS WILL GET VOTED OUT BY ALL THE AMERICANS THAT THEY TURNED THEIR BACKS ON!!

I meant to say NOVEMBER IS ONLY 3 1/2 MONTHS AWAY!!

This is crazy,saying that this is a “lazy” issue and not a “economic” issue. People who are unemployed are their for a reason. I am in sales and the last placed I worked closed down. And so many places are slashing employees instead of opening more jobs. I have worked since I was 11 years old with my first paper route and now I cant find a job. This is more then just “lazy”. The government needs to do something and lowering taxes for the rich in this country isn’t going to solve a darn thing.

I would think that this extention includes “all the people”. If you work and pay taxes and all the other deductions that are taken out, there is NO legitimate way of discriminating against anyone. All deserve to collect. Especially those who have worked hard all their lives and through no fault of their own are unemployed. Are people aware as to where our tax money goes? A lot of it goes to people who have NEVER worked. I wonder sometimes why I work with all the freebies out there? People who have housing work under the hat, who collect ssi work under the hat, who collect welfare work under the hat. This is soooooooooooo true, and I hear it all the time. time for the government to get tough, and NOT with people who work and pay their taxes. Do you know many people on these freebie programs, live with others, lie, work??? Many. So pay the extention to those who deserve it and take the money from somewhere else. It is things like this that make you wonder.

President Obama is a liar and a fool. This type of political rhetoric only divides an already divided Washington. The Republicans are right this time. Extend the benefits but offset the cost.

@Sheila Mayol

As of last report, there is $362 billion remaining in the $787 billion “stimulus” fund. More than 10 times what is needed to pay for the unemployment checks.

http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/home.aspx

Martin, you didn’t pay into unemployment for 40 years. Your employers did. There isn’t a fund for one person that accrues. Perhaps you’re mixing ti up with something else? This isn’t a stimulus package, just an extension of unemployment benefits, which does have stimulative effect. I’m all in favor of another stimulus package to directly create more jobs, and we have plenty of infrastructure construction projects that need doing, even if the economy were great. High unemployment in the construction industry, even above the general unemployment rate, just makes those projects more urgent.

Unfortunately the “deficit hawks” who had no problems with unfunded wars and tax cuts for the wealthiest to create deficits have suddenly discovered austerity again, now that the people seeking help are long-term unemployed and not wealthy contributors or defense contractors. Tell the Republican seantors who stopped the jobs bill that you’ll remember them in November.

I thought HR4213 includes the stimulus and the other bill already passed by congress HR5618 doesn’t. Some of these reporters don’t know what’s going on now I don’t know either

I believe in helping people, but for a great pct of these people on unemployment, we might as well stop their unemployment & give them welfare. Let’s revise the unemployment system & force people to take jobs that are at lower pay, then have the gov/state help offset the differnce in wages collected. There are jobs out there!!!
WOW…who knows..with hard work, then might be able to get back to where they were..WE HAVE TO STOP MAKING AMERICANS LAZY!!!

Some of us want to work and will work for less. But, CA has no jobs–I mean NO jobs.

Sam…I’m sorry about where you live & I know it’s easier to say then do…BUT DO WHAT I DID & MOVE WHERE THERE ARE JOBS!!!

one more thing Sam…after 20years of retail mgmt…I changed my field, went into sales & after hard work moved back into mgmt..Don’t give up..the jobs are out there..you might have to get creative..but one thing I know for sure..a person that works hard..has the will..and has a great work ethic like myself would be an asset & move up where ever they go!!!

Why is it now the Republicans are talking about “pay as you go”? When we were waging war I didn’t hear anything about “pay as you go” then. How convenient that it makes sense now to be concerned about the deficit. That’s right, we had a surplus then!

Uh, Kay … Paygo was Obama’s idea.

“Now, Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else,” Obama said in his radio and Internet address released Saturday morning. “After a decade of profligacy, the American people are tired of politicians who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk when it comes to fiscal responsibility. It’s easy to get up in front of the cameras and rant against exploding deficits. What’s hard is actually getting deficits under control. But that’s what we must do.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32921.html

I agree with Dennis. Reporting on every Unemployment Compensation bill has been absolutely horrible, with Republicans painted as being against the emergency unemployment program, when nothing could be farther from the case.

Republicans have maintained all along that they do want to extend the program, and if one takes the time to actually do their homework, which most reporters are too lazy to do this days, one finds that these bills end up passing by huge margins and not along party lines. A majority of Republicans have voted FOR the ones that have passed. The GOP has said all along their only concern was how to pay for it.

To mute the criticism of Dennis (and the complete illogic of saying people with jobs are somehow disqualified from commenting on the issue) I *am* unemployed, and have been so since before spring 2009. I know it’s not easy to get by on government checks, but I have always been grateful for them, I do not feel a sense of entitlement to them.

If they go away before I find a job, I will do what I have to do. Three 20-hour jobs at minimum wage will pay me as much as I’m making on unemployment. I have marketable skills and I do not want to work at McDonalds or Walmart, or 60 hour weeks but if that’s what people have to do, that’s what they’ll have to do.

People should grow up, take responsibility for their own lives and stop whining and waiting for the government to take care of them.

I cannot believe that they are not adding a 5th tier. In California there are about 100,000 individuals. Those who have exhausted all their benefits (99 weeks) are mostly from the baby boomers years. They are literally being crushed and forgotten. This age group suffers from severe age discrimination concerning jobs. I have looked for any type of work. In 3 years I have received very little work offers here and there. And yet my resume is riddled with experience. This world is ruled by the young who have no concept of life. Remember you will get old too. Karma’s a bitch. The United States no longer takes care of their senior citizens and those nearing that age group. Shame on you. We are the backbone of this country. When you disrespect us, karma will come back to bite you.

if bush wouldn’t have outsourced most of our good paying factories jobs. this country wouldn’t be in the mess its in now

Ive only been unemployed for about 6 months, my unemployment ended in june. ive been applying for jobs, yes even minumum wages jobs since i was laid off. I cant get get hired, either im over qualified or not qualified. Sure the 200.00 bucks a week help, but i am in no way abusing the system. Im sure the ones blocking the approval of this bill spend that or more in a day!! Stop sending jobs over seas and hurting the american people. and if people dont get their unemployment checks..guess what? the economy will continue to suffer. If ppl dont have money to buy things, more employers will start laying off, thus adding to more ppl being unemployed and the US will be a third world country.

@ jeff: dont you need money to move???

why is there no clear and to the point statement that this extension DOES NOT benefit minnesotans in this and other articles on minnesota news sites? As I read about this extension it does not and that is a more relevant point for minnesota readers than the endless reiteration that it has been passed, that I keep reading.

@ jessica. did you know that many companys will pay for yourmove & that they would even buy your house if it doesn’t sell???!!!

agree or disagree with me..you have that right, but here is a real life situation.
I have a good friend (In kentucky) that makes $60,000 plus a year. his wife worked for 1 year & quit her job..found another job & got fired after 4 months..and now is collecting unemployment for over a year. I am not heartless & I think we need to help out or people..BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ON UNEMPLOYMENT ARE LIKE MY FRIENDS WIFE & WHY ISN’T THERE SOMETHING PUT IN PLACE TO DETERMINE IF YOU NEED TO COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT..NOT JUST MAKE IT AN AUTOMATIC BLANKET EXTENSION..THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP..IF YOU MAKES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR & YOUR SPOUSE GOT LAIDOFF FROM HIS/HER JOB..THEY TOO CAN COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT…How can anyone agree what the gov is doing!!
What happened to Bill Clintons welfare to work program…samething isn’t it???

The US economy is collapsing. See this article:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/07/the-scariest-unemployment-graph-ive-seen-yet/60086/

Here’s the actual data source:

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?chart_type=line&width=1000&height=600&preserve_ratio=true&s1id=UEMPMED

Good bye, America!