The House was unable to pass a measure to extend the expanded jobless benefits through February even though the unemployment rate remains at nearly 10 percent. But Democratic leaders brought the bill to the floor under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds vote for passage.
With the House gone for the Thanksgiving recess, and Senate leaders still struggling to put together a strategy for the December portion of the lame-duck session, the benefits are expected to lapse on Nov. 30, as they did earlier this year, before lawmakers moved to renew them retroactively.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) said that he is concerned that “pontificating, preaching about deficits” is threatening a program that, economists argue, provides a particularly high bang for the buck in terms of getting money into people’s hands and spurring economic activity.“Going back many years, the argument has always been made that even if you have to deficit spend for unemployment insurance in the midst of a really brutal economy for a lot of people, that can be supported because you’re helping someone get from here to there get from joblessness to a job and you’re providing a jump-starting effect that helps the economy,” Casey said.
The last renewal of jobless benefits, which was not offset, just barely overcame a GOP filibuster in the Senate on a 60-40 vote, with Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska voting no and the two Republican moderates from Maine, Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, providing the deciding votes. Senate Democratic leaders argue that jobless benefits should not have to be offset. But this week, Snowe said that she is concerned about the “open-endedness” of Congress’ support for expanded jobless benefits, and the length of time for which they’re being extended. “I think we need to revisit some of those issues, and how we pay for it,” she said.
On Thursday, 143 members of the House Republican caucus, which will control that chamber in January, opposed the $12 billion unemployment insurance extender bill on the floor, making a cost argument that may prove fatal. Twenty-one Republicans voted yes.“The sad thing, Madam Speaker, is this—we could extend unemployment benefits and pay for it. This is not a hard one. There are harder decisions coming with the debt our country is facing and economic uncertainty,” Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. (R-LA) said on the House floor.
For more information, please visit www.nwyc.com or email me at gms@yourvotecountspittsburgh.com.
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