Senate fails unemployed, states

by Joan McCarter
Wed Jun 16, 2010 at 09:25:55 AM PDT
Reid has withdrawn cloture on the jobs/tax extenders/unemployment extension bill, signalling that he doesn't have the votes to pass it.

The $140 billion measure looks increasingly unlikely to pass — leaving thousands losing unemployment benefits every week — due to intransigence from both Democrats and Republicans. Yesterday, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) told reporters that he does not support the deficit spending. “Borrowing and deficit spending at the point of a crisis is one thing, but when you’re in recovery, borrowing and deficit spending is another thing. Borrowing during a recovery is risky because it may slow down the recovery,” he told The Hill. “If everything is an emergency then nothing is.”

Millions of people losing their sole source of income, and ten of thousands more likely to lose their jobs if this aid isn't passed isn't an emergency for Ben Nelson. The unemployed folks in Nebraska would probably disagree, and I hope he hears from them today.

Reid held instead a budget point of order vote this morning to try to go forward by waiving paygo. That vote lost 45-52, with Bayh, Begich, Feingold, Kohl, Landrieu, Lieberman, McCaskill, Menendez, both Nelsons, Pryor, and Webb voting with Republicans.

Reid is searching for alternatives to scale back the bill to try to get Dems and those "moderate" Republicans back.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/16/876496/-Senate-fails-unemployed,-states

:nuke:

This recovery is only working for those who have good incomes. In a macro view there is recovery but on an individual level, if everyone's plight were taken into consideration, there is no recovery for the majority of people.

homelessness. OK senators ya'll go enjoy your lovely homes and take a nice break from your grueling job.

Sigh.

Maybe when the preacher gets through blessing the fleet he can say a little prayer for the rest of us!