Senate passes $140 billion extension of jobless benefits

[kpete]

Source: The Hill


Senate passes $140 billion extension of jobless benefits
By Walter Alarkon - 03/10/10 07:32 PM ET

The Senate approved $140 billion in extended tax breaks and unemployment benefits on Wednesday in a largely partisan vote.

The bill was approved on a 62-36 vote, with six Republicans joining most Democrats in backing it.

Senate Democrats are calling the measure a jobs bill, though it includes tax breaks extended by Congress on a near-annual basis as well as a fix to Medicare payments for doctors that lawmakers also have previously extended.

It’s the second package of legislation that Senate Democrats have labeled as a jobs bill this year, joining a $15 billion measure approved by the Senate last week.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/86015-senate-passes-extension-of-some-unemployment-benefits

[tonysam]

1. There's a BIG asterisk

The Senate did NOT vote for a "Tier 5" extension; it merely pushed back the date for people to be able to file for EUI.

It's pretty dishonest for the media and the Senate to say it "extended" UI, when in fact it didn't.

However, the House has passed a measure which DOES include a "Tier 5" extension.

More details:

First, the facts. The jobs bill doesn't "extend" coverage. What it does is extend some of the deadlines so that people who were laid off later in 2009 and into 2010 can still qualify for the extra unemployment benefits provided in last year's stimulus bill.

But once someone has moved through the various tiers of coverage (which is combined with a Federal/State Extended Benefits program), you're out of luck. At best, after 99 weeks your unemployment coverage is over and this bill doesn't address that.

Which makes the various Republican talking points about creating an additional permanent welfare state even more ludicrous. Even if that were the case, it's a welfare state that only last 99 weeks. Which isn't much of a financial crutch.

All of this might be a surprise to cable news network viewers, who hear the phrase "extended unemployment" thrown around in the same haphazard way as other favorite political phrases like "death panels."

The news coverage gives the impression that this bill gives the long-term unemployed even more money, and that is simply not the case.

...

Several people have emailed me the news that they have called the offices of their local Senator, and have been assured that a separate bill addressing extra weeks of coverage will be brought up in the Senate as early as next week. I've heard that as well, but I'm hesitant to rely on that, since no one has any firm details. Also, the reason the additional weeks weren't included in this jobs bill is that adding more weeks is a tougher sell to Republicans and conservative Democrats. There is also an Easter break coming up soon. So even if a new bill is proposed next week, getting it passed and signed by the President before April is going to be a tough battle.

Let's hope there is a "Tier 5" in the works. Things are HORRIBLE out here.

[Bold Lib]

2. Thanks for that info. Talk about a slimy underhanded trick!!!

[sandnsea]

4. "only" 99 weeks??

There has NEVER been 99 weeks of unemployment ever before. That is almost 2 years. That's not much of a financial crutch???

Incredulous.

[doc03]

3. You know I have been laid off since April 17, 2009 and

have no idea how much longer I can get unemployment. I can't make heads or tails out of tier 1 tier 2 phase 1 or 2 etc. and I don't know anyone that can. If you call the state unemployment office you are sometimes on hold for 4 hours it's an f----g mess. I turn 62 in a few weeks and those a---holes require me to make two f----g job contacts every week for a job that doesn't exist and who the hell is going to hire me when I go on pension next month anyway?

[sandnsea]

5. Oh the horror!! 2 job contacts!!!

You do know it's been that way forever, right? 99 weeks of unemployment and people are bitching. Unbelievable.

[doc03]

6. You are being sarcastic I hope?

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[John Kerry VonErich]

8. My only question is...

At what cost for Bunning to stop the one man fillibuster?