Sen. Tom Coburn holds up Unemployment Benefits --

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer – Fri Mar 26, 3:00 am ET

Senate Republican holds up jobless benefits
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer – Fri Mar 26, 3:00 am ET

WASHINGTON – As Congress raced to leave Washington for its Easter recess, a Republican senator blocked a stopgap bill to extend jobless benefits, saying its $9 billion cost should not be added to the national debt.

As a result, some people who have been out of work for more than six months will at least temporarily lose benefits. Newly jobless people won't be eligible to sign up for generous health insurance subsidies.

At the center of the battle is Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who's insisting that the measure be "paid for" so as not to add to the nation's $12.7 trillion debt.

"What we are doing is stealing future opportunity from our children," Coburn said Thursday.

Republicans offered legislation to finance the monthlong extension of jobless benefits by rescinding unspent money from last year's economic stimulus bill. The effort was killed on a party-line vote.

Democrats repeatedly sought speedy Senate approval of a House-passed measure that would extend jobless benefits through May 5, but Coburn objected. Republicans said Senate negotiations produced a compromise that didn't pass muster in the House.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_bi_ge/us_unemployment_benefits




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Couldn't get thru Coburn's office so called Bonier -- person I spoke with was very argumentive -
I was stressing this is about families/children -- he wanted to stress this is about the budget!
Mentioned Bush's wars and tax cuts for rich bankrutping Treasury -- and then he didn't want to
speak to me any longer!

I'll try Coburn later --

If and when Congress adds more weeks to Tier IV or adds a Tier V will there be an "extension" of UI.