WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives on Thursday voted down a measure that would have reauthorized extended unemployment insurance for another three months, leaving no clear path forward to prevent the benefits from lapsing as scheduled on Nov. 30.Without a reauthorization, the Labor Department estimates that two million long-term unemployed will prematurely stop receiving benefits before the end of the year.
"I think it's a sad moment," said Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) after the vote. "It appalls me that the Republicans keep pitching and pitching and pitching the tax cuts for the rich and won't join in a bill to help people keep their homes and not have to live in their cars."
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Hope Springs eternal in the Human Heart - I hope that Obama becomes a Great Statesman, he may be in the path of Greater, Bigger and Nobler Achievements.
I have not lost my Hopes and Illusions on Mr Obama and the Noble Democrats :
If Obama is reelected in 2012, then he will be more self-assured and will have a great second term in office. Obama is a Man of Intelligence, a Great President and a Great Human Being - He may become a Great Statesman.
If he seems weak, irresolute, wavering or vacillant ( before the Republican bullies in Congress ), then perhaps that is because he is a prudent and wise man, a professor and great lawyer, and needs some time to learn, digest and become tougher ( with Republicans in Congress ).
Anybody elected president of the USA can not solve all the problems in five minutes.
Consider the pack of furious wolves against Obama : in Foreign Policy, Wars, Health Care, Tax Cuts, Budget, Environment, etc ...
And those mad wolves have power : in Congress, Governorships, State Legislatures. And do not forget the Powerful Demagogues in the Media : Television Madmen, and the failed "war pundits" that are covered in awarded prizes, but whose forecasts and predictions have failed by 180 degrees of direction.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a consummate political leader. In one situation, a group came to him urging specific actions in support of a cause in which they deeply believed, this was Civil Rights for Blacks. He replied: "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it."
Lyndon Baines Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act and Progressive Legislation in favor of Blacks. LBJ was helped and pushed by a Big Movement.
Both men FDR and LBJ greatly suffered because of the many things that they couldn't do.
Vicente Duque
Democrats weren’t willing to cut the budget to enable passage of the legislation. This should not have been a problem since the cost and therefore the offsetting budget reduction is small in comparison with just about any other federal budget item including the cost of the earlier $34 billion, six month extension. This is a highly desirable piece of legislation because unemployment benefits are one of the most effective engines of job creation even though it doesn’t seem to be working very fast this time. This just proves that the Democrats are the party of tax and spend and prefer politics as usual and more debt to making the necessary offsetting budget cuts to enable passage of this imporant bill.
I admit that the tax extension for the rich is a problem for the Republicans but people don't realize that the argument is basically the same as it is for an unemployment extension. Both have some impact on job creation. A small businessman is not likely to feel that he should take additional risk of hiring at this time if his income and the proceeds from that risk-taking will be subject to heavy taxation. I have no problem with taxing the hedge fund managers and other billionaires but we need to keep our eye on the ball and not take counterproductive tax actions while our economy is still in the doldrums. How hard can it be to cut $17 billion from the budget to pay for an unemployment extension. As a former budget director, I can say those kinds of relatively small budget adjustments are made all the time and must be made in those states that have a balanced budget amendment. Just divide that figure by the total federal budget and tell each department head that he or she must cut that percentage from his or her budget. Leave them to decide the lowest priorities in their purview. Mission accomplished.
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