Sen. Baucus, WH make eleventh-hour push for extended unemployment package

[babylonsister]

Nelson, Collins-not so much. :argh:


Sen. Baucus makes eleventh-hour push for extended unemployment package
By Vicki Needham - 11/29/10 09:20 PM ET


Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduced legislation Monday night that would provide long-term unemployed workers with benefits through the end of next year, with the program expected to lapse Tuesday.

Baucus told The Hill Monday night he wants to move quickly on the measure and "will try every way I can to get this passed."

snip//


Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) on Monday stuck with his argument that the bill should be paid for, while also expressing concern about the proposed length.

"I think that there's a point in which, and I don't think it's now, that you just can't keep extending," Nelson told The Hill. "At some point, you can't keep adding to the debt."

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) voiced a similar sentiment on Monday, saying she might support a paid-for measure but also is concerned about a yearlong extension.

"I'll have to see, I really think it should be paid for," she said. "There's also a limit to how long we can keep extending unemployment if the unemployment rate is falling. It's certainly important that we pay for it."

Economists and the Federal Reserve have said they expect the unemployment rate to remain high through next year, the main reason behind the push for an extension through the end of 2011.

The White House also is pushing for an extension that runs through the end of next year.

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/801-economy/131059-baucus-introduces-yearlong-unemployment-benefits-extension

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Baucus?

:wow:

[ZombieHorde]

2. I know what you mean. He seemed like a sellout during the HCR times.

Perhaps businesses believe unemployment benefits help them.

[mopinko]

3. retailers prolly want people to keep buying presents.

[karynnj]

6. I don't think he was a sellout - he knew he needed 60 votes

The final design after merging with the more liberal HELP bill eventually became quite close to Baucus' as changes were made to get the 60 votes.

[ZombieHorde]

9. You could be right. nt

[NorthCarolina]

5. Don't worry...he'll be back in form soon to come after your Social Security. nt

[karynnj]

7. When the Senate tried to create the commision, he was the one who added

an amendment that required any change to social security to need a supermajority vote. (I seriously can't believe I have just defended Baucus twice in one thread. )

[Jennicut]

10. He is a conservadem. He has moments of being sort of like a Democrat.

A conservative in that seat would obviously be worse and a lot of us get that. Still, I have no love for Baucus.

[flpoljunkie]

4. We must remember R's main goal is for Obama to fail, the economy be damned! He must call them out.

[eridani]

8. How about getting on that effing BULLY PULPIT, Mr President? n/t