Ron Wyden To Block Other Extensions Until Senate Extends UI And COBRA Benefits

[1776Forever]

Ron Wyden To Block Other Extensions Until Senate Extends UI And COBRA Benefits
Arthur Delaney
Posted: 02-26-10 03:21 PM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/26/ron-wyden-to-block-other_n_478521.html

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has vowed to prevent the Senate from extending any other expiring laws until it extends unemployment benefits and subsidized health insurance for laid off workers.

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) is single-handedly blocking Senate action needed to prevent an estimated 1.2 million American workers from prematurely losing their unemployment benefits next month. When, on the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) begged him to drop his objection Bunning replied: "Tough shit."

The Senate adjourned on Friday without renewing the benefits. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people will stop receiving unemployment checks every week, starting Monday.

Wyden is outraged. "Denying legislation that helps them pay for the basic necessities of life is fundamentally wrong," Wyden told HuffPost. "For people that are getting hammered in this economy, trying literally to figure out from their kitchen table and their living rooms how they're going to get by, this legislation is a lifeline."

........

Hell yes! It is about time someone stepped up. Reid waited to long to get this in the bill!

[Uben]

1. Make Bunning pay dearly......

It's time to treat these pricks like the assholes they are. Give them nothing...ever!

[1776Forever]

2. Bunning isn't running next year but you can bet he will be in line for his retirement tax money!

I read his phone hasn't stopped ringing today! I know he could care less though. He has no worries and all he could think of last night was not being able to see his Kentucky basketball team play! BS!

[annabanana]

6. So the only possible leverage is to make his entire caucus

so miserable that they'll threaten to complicate his post-congress pay-off career?

[Kablooie]

9. Bunning's hijinks may give him a shot at the presidency someday.

Republicans love their assholes.

[DFW]

11. He's 78 years old, and suffering from dementia (we're ALL suffering from his dementia)

This is his last hurrah, not that start of a presidential campaign

[Kablooie]

12. Sound as promising as Reagan did.

[DFW]

13. Bunning is a worse actor

Plus his dementia is farther along.

[renate]

3. I love my two senators!

I just don't understand... I mean, I really really don't understand... how anybody could be unemployed and remain a Republican. I'm proud that two Democratic senators from Oregon are front and center on getting the unemployment benefits extended--our state is really hurting, but we're certainly not the only ones.

[Divine Discontent]

8. You're fortunate to have a great set of senators... I got Bill Nelson, and Lemieux, who is Martinez'

fill in until the election.

Mel must have got an offer he couldn't refuse, or built up such a nice fortune, he didn't need to dick around with waiting for another term when he already was in late mid-life. He wants to enjoy his millions... Sick GOPigs.

[jemelanson]

4. It is about Time that some of the D's in the Senate grow some

Backbones and B@@@@ and stand up the those who want to hijack Congress now that they are not the majority. Now how about some more of those D's grow some also. If tthe Repugs want to fillibuster let them, and make sure that there are just enough D's there all of the time that they have to keep those R's there and talking until they drop. Then do what needs to be done. Make the members of the Party of NO stand up and be counted, over and over and over again until everyone knows why the work of the House and the Senate is not being done. Put up or Shut the He## up.

I suspect that you may detect a bit of fustration and I am. This is just stupid.

[vssmith]

5. Any legislative body that lets one person hold a bill up is FUCKED

[Political Heretic]

10. DING DING DING DING DING DING

[Divine Discontent]

7. I wish someone would just call him flat out against his fellow man & woman surviving

they're getting close to saying it... might as well pull out all the stops on these arses. we really could knock them out for 30 years if our leaders just started playing hardball and throwing our majority weight around.

K&R! WTG WYDEN!

Thanks for the info, 1776forever!

[Bluenorthwest]

14. Wyden and Merkely are earning their keep

I've been proud of them both lately.