Bill to restore jobless aid clears Senate hurdle

[IDemo]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - A measure to restore jobless benefits for hundreds of thousands of Americans cleared a procedural hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Monday as lawmakers returned to work after a two-week break.

By a vote of 60-34, the Democratic-controlled Senate voted to begin debate on a measure to extend jobless benefits for another month, which had lapsed amid partisan bickering. A final vote is expected later in the week.

With the unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, some 6.1 million Americans rely on jobless benefits to help them pay the bills as they look for work.

Those benefits expired for more than 200,000 Americans last week after Republican Senator Tom Coburn prevented a vote shortly before Congress left town.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1220384820100412

[Cirque du So-What]

1. I thought the plan was to SHUT DOWN discussion

and vote on the motherscratcher! Another fucking week of discussion? I'm gonna be a nervous wreck before I find out whether I'm eligible for benefits this week!

[rpannier]

2. 4 Republicans joined 56 Democrats

Scott Brown, Collins, Snowe and Voinovich voted with the Dems

Good ole former Mavericky John McCain didn't

Nice when a multi-, multi-millionaire doesn't see the need to get benefits to the poor

[tomm2thumbs]

4. bbbbut.. but McCain never said he was a maverick! bwahahahahahah

he's such an idiot - he forgets that when he talks into that metal tube, it gets both repeated louder, AND recorded.

[tonysam]

3. They better quit this piecemeal shit and put in a Tier V

of additional weeks for those who have or about to exhaust ALL benefits and push the filing deadline to the end of the year.

I am sure EUI will have to be in existence for the foreseeable future.

This is not a "recession" but a depression.

[DCBob]

5. This is only good for another 30 days.. which means even if it passed now will expire in 3 weeks.

and the "debate" will begin again..

[defendandprotect]

6. ... think true unemployment is more like .17% when long term unemployed considered ....

[Rapier09]

7. It will keep getting passed

Then one day after those who get hooked on those benefits figure out they still can't get jobs....it will expire.

It is just another bread line.