Senate defeats GOP jobless aid bill

[ProSense]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats on Thursday easily turned back a Republican effort to cut money from President Barack Obama's stimulus package and other government spending to pay for an extension in unemployment benefits and aid to doctors.

Republicans were on the losing end of a 57-41 vote on the measure, which would have cut stimulus dollars and other spending to finance a six-month extension of unemployment checks for people who've been out of work for more than six months.

The vote came as Senate Democratic leaders tried to shore up support for a scaled-back version of their jobless aid bill, which would renew parts of last year's economic stimulus measure. The catchall bill combines jobless aid for the long-term unemployed, help to cash-strapped state governments and the renewal of dozens of popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals.

Governors have complained that without additional state aid, hundreds of thousands of public employees and teachers will be laid off. Nevertheless, the measure failed to muster even a majority in a test vote Wednesday, falling far short of the 60 votes necessary to break a Republican filibuster.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100617/ap_on_bi_ge/us_congress_spending_21

[patrice]

1. . . . a little late for my nephew, but I am "hopeful" anyway . . . sort of. nt

[KansDem]

2. The GOP Legacy

Trillions to fund unnecessary wars based on lies, Wall Street and the banksters, but no money for Americans down on their luck to help them through these tough economic times caused by giving trillions to fund unnecessary wars based on lies, Wall Street and the banksters...

[superconnected]

6. These people who are "down on their luck" are actually recepients of the GOP

regulations that lets corporations lay everyone off and outsource in and out of the country to cheaper foreign labor, and sell goods back to us without higher tariffs for being produced without our labor - something European countries look very down on and we would too if the lawmakers were protecting us instead of the companies.

[Scuba]

7. ++++++++

[Froward69]

3. unreccers = pathetic

:kick:

[judesedit]

4. All repugs, can't think of one that doesn't, and some dems, want to keep the American people poor...

....as poor as they possibly can, so the people don't have the strength or the necessary resources to fight back. What they didn't figure on is the American will and tenacity to continue fighting to the death. So unless they want to embark on a euthanasia campaign to get rid of us all, they had better plan on a fight that gets even nastier. We are paying these greedy, criminal bastards. Once convicted of ANY crime, their nice little retirement package should be relinquished right along with ousting them on their keasters. (not sure how you spell that)

[Dulcinea]

5. So what happens now?

Are they gonna pass ANYTHING?

[superconnected]

8. In defense of Conservatives - they are compassionate - to oil companies

However they can't handle helping people. I figure it's because they hate people and ultimately themselves, so they support business that harm people and the environment. Listen to them talk sometime - it's all about hating people.

We're always talking about trying to help people. They hate us for that.

[SpiralHawk]

9. Why do the Republicons hate the American people?

Is is because -- as they made plain today -- they are totally into ass kissing their corporate payola masters? They sure make that conclusion inevitable.