WTF? Maybe Reid will override Bunning by NEXT WEEK?????

[Junkdrawer]

Is this right?

U.S. Senate Likely to Pass Plan to Reinstate Jobless Benefits

March 2 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senate Democrats are likely to pass by next week a bill to reinstate unemployment benefits that expired Feb. 28, said Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Jobless benefits for thousands of Americans expired after Senator Jim Bunning, a Kentucky Republican, blocked a one-month continuation designed to keep checks from being interrupted. The provisions are part of a $150 billion measure intended to boost the economy.

The legislation would spend $81 billion to extend the unemployment benefits, including so-called Cobra subsidies to help the jobless buy health insurance, for the rest of this year. It also would send $25 billion to state governments to help prevent layoffs.

....

The bill would still have to approved by the House.

The measure includes provisions unrelated to job creation, including a $7 billion plan to prevent, for seven months, a 21 percent scheduled cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors.

....

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-02/u-s-senate-likely-to-pass-plan-to-reinstate-jobless-benefits.html


I thought this was going to be fixed first thing Tuesday Morning (i.e. TODAY) ?????

[G_j]

1. well, I heard some reporter say...

the Dems want to make some hay of this, by prolonging it.

I certainly hope that's not true.

[Junkdrawer]

6. A whole lot of people are being hurt by this....

Unemployment forums have people who needed the money to make late mortgage payments. If this goes on, some may lose their homes.

To say nothing of those losing their COBRA health insurance.

[Botany]

2. Harry is the flaccid groom on a wedding night.

He can force Bunning to keep speaking and call out the republicans that are helping
Bunning keep the floor. Bunning is not doing this on his own.

[FarCenter]

3. Bunning is not filibustering - he's objecting to emergency procedures that require unanimous consent

So Reid will have to invoke cloture procedures and schedule 30 hours of debate before the final vote according to regular procedures.

[Botany]

7. I have heard from more than one source that Bunning is getting help ....

.... in being a pain in the ass from Sen. Kyle & Sen ?.

[spanone]

4. do it now, harry

[ProgressiveEconomist]

5. Isn't it wiser to proceed on a long-term extension than to spend up to a week

invoking cloture on a 30-day extension of unemployment benefits?

That's what Reid said not forty minutes ago, carried by C-SPAN2.

Bunning is NOT blocking the long-term extension bill--so far at least.

[onenote]

8. exactly - Bunning is killing the repubs leverage on the long term bill

For those that have been critical of Reid, I think this time it can be argued that he's taken lemons and may well succeed in turning them into lemonade.

Keep in mind the first option was to do a long term extension back in December. That fell out of the Defense Approps bill (along with other extension provisions) and was replaced by a sixty day extender. The next option was to put all of the extensions in a comprehensive jobs bill. But that approach was dropped and Reid split the jobs bill into two parts. The first part, with no extra provisions like the long term extenders, was passed early last week. The long term provisions were then put into the second jobs bill which is supposed to be considered this week. To bridge the gap, there was an agreement on another 30 day short term extender. McConnell wanted that extension because it maximized his leverage on the long term/jobs bill. But Bunning screwed that up. By blocking the short term extension, Bunning opened the door for Reid to push not for a short term extension that would allow the repubs to delay and fight the long term jobs bill, but instead for the quick passage of the second jobs bill with the extensiions. Without a short term extension in place, any delay in getting the long term extenders/jobs bill passed will delay the resumption of benefits and that will fall squarely at the feet of the repubs. They would love to see Bunning relent so that they can live to fight the long term/jobs bill. But Reid may well have them by the balls and, hopefully, he can make quick work of a bill that does more than just provide a short term extension but rather puts into place some longer term provisions on both UI benefits, COBRA, etc. and jobs-creation.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. The Dems are playing politics --

They are getting a lotta mileage out of Bunning/the GOP obstruction right now. :( It's kinda fucked for a lotta Ameriacns who got lost their benefits, though.