60 votes in place, Dems ready to extend jobs money

[babylonsister]

60 votes in place, Dems ready to extend jobs money

By ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press Writer



WASHINGTON (AP) -- With a new face and a 60th vote for breaking a Republican filibuster, Senate Democrats are preparing to restore jobless checks for 2.5 million people whose benefits ran out during a congressional standoff over deficit spending. President Barack Obama says, "It's time to do what's right."

snip//

The Senate is likely to pass the current measure late Tuesday. The House is expected to clear it for Obama's signature as soon as Wednesday.

Two Republicans, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, are expected to vote with the Democrats Tuesday, as they did at the end of June. The measure stalled then because the death of Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and the participation in the filibuster of Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson left the party one short of the 60 votes needed.

With Goodwin, the Senate breakdown is 57 Democrats, 41 Republicans and two independents who normally vote with the Democrats.

Some 2.5 million people have seen their weekly checks interrupted since an earlier extension of the jobless aid program expired June 2. States are responsible for the first 26 weeks of benefits, but the federal government stepped in last year to fully fund up to 73 additional weeks of benefits under the terms of last year's economic stimulus bill.

There are now 14.6 million unemployed people in the U.S., and more than 9.2 million of them are collecting some form of jobless insurance, including 4.9 million - more than half - receiving the federal extensions.


more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNEMPLOYMENT_BENEFITS?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[sandnsea]

1. Obama Went After Repubs Too

"And I have to say, after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, the same people who didn’t have any problem spending hundreds of billions of dollars on tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are now saying we shouldn’t offer relief to middle-class Americans like Jim or Leslie or Denise, who really need help."

Full Text:

http://obama-mamas.com/blog/?p=1719

[monmouth]

2. Just sent this to a dear friend who had to leave FL and went home

to southern IL. If it weren't were a good high school friend she would be living in her car. Thanks for posting this.

[AlinPA]

3. Any opinions on how solid the "expected votes' of Collins and Snowe are?

[DFLforever]

5. They wouldn't be voting tomorrow

to end cloture if they didn't have the Maine senators' votes.

[AlinPA]

7. I keep thinking they will play "Lucy with the football" and yank away their "votes".

[Puzzler]

4. "Oh the democray! How dare the Dems "ram through" any legislation ...

... with a mere 60 votes!"

(As I can imagine Fox News and their fellow propagandists bleating).

Remember folks, whenever the Democrats pass anything, it's always going to be "rammed through".

[quiet.american]

6. Welcome, welcome news! nt

[DevonRex]

8. Excellent news! Thanks for letting us know. K&R. nt

[Ross K]

9. I'll applaud AFTER the vote, if you don't mind

I expect nothing from this Congress of Cowards.

[RBInMaine]

15. Hyperbolic nuttiness. Not happy? Go run for officer yourself.

[saltpoint]

10. Recommended with heart and mind.

Obama made the Pukes look bad in front of some 300 million U.S. people on this, or rather, the Pukes disgraced themselves in the first place by opposing ethical assistance to people in need.

[Warren Stupidity]

11. So what crappy backroom deal did we make to get this done?

I am glad that the unemployed will no longer be held hostage ( well not for another few weeks anyway) but at what cost was this done?

[RBInMaine]

14. Is it necessary to be an asshat here? Plenty of room at Freepland. Take your crazy over there.

[Warren Stupidity]

20. That is a seriously fucked up response.

So again - what was the cost of the deal made to get the votes? Do you know, or is all you have accusations that I am a member of FR?

More solidarity bullshit. Keep your head in the sand and your ass solidly behind whatever it is your team is doing.

[Arkana]

19. We, um...swore in Carte Goodwin?

[Warren Stupidity]

21. We dropped tier V and cobra extensions

This bill does not push compensation past 99 weeks and does not extend cobra either. If you are a 99er, you are still shit out of luck.

That was the backroom deal.

http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/1987-Senate-Breaks-GOP-Filibuster-of-Unemployment-Extension-Bill-Now-Set-to-Become-Law

But it seems I have to go over to FR to discuss why not actually extending unemployment compensation is not a big victory.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. Kickin' this great news!

:kick:

[Greyskye]

13. Holding my breath...

Benefits due to run out at the end of August, and no jobs in sight.

[babylonsister]

16. Extension of Jobless Benefits Clears Key Senate Hurdle on 60-40 Vote

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4472130

Source: Associated Press

A bill to restore unemployment benefits to millions who have been out of work for more than six months has cleared a Senate hurdle.

The 60-40 vote came moments after Carte Goodwin, a successor to West Virginia Democrat Robert Byrd, was sworn in. Goodwin was the crucial 60th senator to defeat a Republican filibuster that has led to a lapse in benefits for 2.5 million people.

A battle has raged for months over whether jobless benefits should be financed with additional federal debt as Democrats want or through cuts to other government programs as most Republicans insist.

After a final Senate vote, the House will take up the bill Wednesday. President Barack Obama is likely to sign it into law by week's end.

[DCBob]

17. Another big victory for the Democrats and the President!

This has to have some effect on the electorate. I think the Dems are about to rebound. Lots of good news in the past several days.

[FrenchieCat]

18. Not really. Folks don't care about anything when it becomes a positive......

[DCBob]

22. I think when there is a series of positive developments then they might notice..

But you are probably right.. most prefer to focus on Lindsay Lohan and Bristol Palin.