Republicans Vote NO Against the Unemployment While Continuing to Advocate for Tax Extensions for the Rich!

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."

President Obama: "Republicans Holding Unemployment Extensions Hostage"

President Obama has lashed out at Senate Republicans regarding their "cold-hearted" efforts to block relief for unemployed Americans. He said they were “using their power to hold this relief (to unemployed Americans) hostage.” Currently, a new unemployment extension package lies in wait in the Senate with hopes of swift action next Monday, when Congress returns from the Fourth of July recess. The package is a much scaled down version of the previous version. The sponsors of the new bill - H.R. 5618, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) a long time supporter of the nation’s workforce along with House Ways and Means Chairman Sander Levin (D-MI) worked hard to get a bill that would bring much needed relief to America’s unemployed workers.

President Obama, referencing the unemployment emergency, stated, “Still, at a time when millions of Americans feel a deep sense of urgency in their own lives, Republican leaders in Washington just don’t get it. While a majority of Senators support taking these steps to help the American people, some (primarily Republicans) are playing the same old Washington games and using their power to hold this relief hostage – a move that only ends up holding back our recovery. It doesn't make sense.”

Remarking about the economy, President Obama stated, “Well, on Friday, we learned that after 22 straight months of job loss, our economy has now created jobs in the private sector for 6 months in a row. That’s a positive sign. But the truth is, the recession from which we’re emerging has left us in a hole that’s about 8 million jobs deep. And as I’ve said from the day I took office, it’s going to take months, even years, to dig our way out – and it’s going to require an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

As the Senate returns to business on July 12, millions of unemployed Americans in desperate need of assistance have one ray of hope. W.V. Democrats and state labor leaders are pushing WV Gov Joe Manchin to fill the Senate spot held for more than half a century by the late Sen. Byrd. By naming himself Senator this week, Manchin becomes the 60th vote and on Monday, Senate Democrats could muster the votes to overcome Republican filibusters and pass an extension of unemployment benefits.

From my perspective, Republicans are a party of NO. They are digging in their heels. They think tax cuts are the only option left for economic recovery. They want the American Public as miserable as possible. Keep them unemployed by stopping the creation of new jobs. Deny them unemployment extensions. Let them starve. Make the American Public so miserable they believe the Federal Government is broken and therefore elect Republicans in November. Their goal is to end entitlements of any nature. Curtail all future Federal programs. Return power to the states where they think they have more influence because “Washington is Broken." At the state level, this means no unemployment benefits at all - even 26 weeks of benefits are in jeopardy because the states are broke. Already they are portraying the unemployed as "spoiled" and "Lazy." As Republican candidate for Nevada Senate and Tea Party favorite Sharon Angle said about the unemployed, "We’ve put in so much entitlement into our government that we really have spoiled our citizenry.” She said cutting them off from unemployment "will motivate them to find and accept any job, no matter the pay." She said this even though the Labor dept reported there is only 1 job for every 5 unemployed Americans.

Republicans will try to cut ALL entitlement programs. They are preparing to cut Social Security. If the public supports them they will cut Medicaid, Medicare and every other "Liberal Democrat" program. They will continue to support outsourcing so more jobs will be lost. If you believe in their vision and they win this power struggle, you may have lower taxes but you certainly will not have a job nor any benefits including insurance. We truly will evolve to two classes, the Rich Elite Conservatives/Business Owners and the desperately poor, unemployed masses.

Republicans Say NO to Unemployed Americans and Vote Down the Bill to Extend Unemployment! Republican McConnell LAUGHS at Unemployed Americans!

Republicans make me sick! They are old. They are wealthy. They are laughing at unemployed Americans who are in need. They are staunch supporters of tax cuts for the wealthy and easing regulations on big business. They support BP, and their oil disaster in the Gulf, not wanting to hold them accountable.

And now, just a few minutes ago, thanks to REPUBLISCUM Senators, 1 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits tomorrow. Republican Senators stood together to block cloture on a jobs bill that would have advanced legislation to extend unemployment benefits through November. Following the Senate's 57-41 vote that prevents the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act from receiving a fair up-or-down vote. This is an absolute disgrace. Do Republicans not understand the nightmare that millions upon millions wake up to everyday across this country? Once again Republican Senators sent hard hit families to the back of the line in favor of hedge fund managers and Wall Street millionaires. Republicans have chosen for Americans to lose and have decided the American people don't matter.

To make matters worse, the Republican leader stood up and joked about the plight of unemployed Americans. After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) took to the floor and begged his fellow senators to "do the right thing" and pass the latest revision of the tax and benefits extension act, McConnell LAUGHED and joked, calling the measure the "H. R. 4213 Deficit Extenders Act." Meanwhile, millions of families with children will starve as the Republican McConnell LAUGHS!

Republicans Continue to Humiliate Themselves by Voting Against ANTI-Rape Amendment!

In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her Halliburton/KBR co-workers while working in Iraq and locked in a shipping container for over a day to prevent her from reporting her attack. The rape occurred outside of U.S. criminal jurisdiction, but to add serious insult to serious injury she was not allowed to sue KBR because her employment contract said that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration--a process that overwhelmingly favors corporations.

This year, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) introduced an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill that would punish contractors if they "restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court." You'd think that this would be a no-brainer and all senators would vote in support of this ANTI-RAPE amendment. WRONG! 30 Republicans VOTED AGAINST IT!!

In fact, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) argued that it's NOT the GOVERNMENT's place to DECIDE who the GOVERNMENT does business with. UNBELIEVABLE!! And these Republican Senators are the same ones who went absolutely cross-eyed with white-hot, impotent rage when 4 Acorn employees were hoodwinked by a fake prostitute and pimp and Voted to STOP Funding to ACORN. Duplicitous!

Here are the names of the 30 Republican Senators who voted AGAINST the ANTI-RAPE Amendment. Remember to VOTE AGAINST THEM when they are up for re-election:
Alexander (R-TN), Barrasso (R-WY), Bond (R-MO), Brownback (R-KS), Bunning (R-KY), Burr (R-NC), Chambliss (R-GA), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC), Ensign (R-NV), Enzi (R-WY), Graham (R-SC), Gregg (R-NH), Inhofe (R-OK), Isakson (R-GA), Johanns (R-NE), Kyl (R-AZ), McCain (R-AZ), McConnell (R-KY), Risch (R-ID), Roberts (R-KS), Sessions (R-AL), Shelby (R-AL) , Thune (R-SD), Vitter (R-LA), Wicker (R-MS)

Janet Napolitano Restructures ICE Policies to Focus on Employers, Drug Cartels/Felonious Criminals but Faces Fierce Opposition!

As Janet Napolitano, head of Homeland Security, moves forward with plans to restructure ICE policies to focus on incarcerating Employers and Drug Cartels/Felonious Criminals versus workers, she is facing fierce opposition not only from "The Party of NO" (Republicans), but also from rogue Agents from within her own ICE Divisions who are only interested in sidling up with the owners of the "for profit" prisons where entire families of workers are jailed for PROFIT at tax payers expense. ANTIs, of course, are cheering on Napolitano's opposition.

Delay in Immigration Raids May Signal Policy Change

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids, federal officials said.
A senior department official said the delays signal a pending change in whom agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement choose to prosecute -- increasing the focus on businesses and executives (employers) instead of ordinary workers.
"ICE is now scrutinizing these cases more thoroughly to ensure that [targets] are being taken down when they should be taken down, and that the employer is being targeted and the surveillance and the investigation is being done how it should be done," said the official, discussing Napolitano's views about sensitive law enforcement matters on the condition of anonymity.
"There will be a change in policy, but in the interim, you've got to scrutinize the cases coming up," the senior DHS official said, noting Napolitano's expectations as a former federal prosecutor and state attorney general.
Another DHS official said Napolitano plans to release protocols this week to ensure more consistent work-site investigations and less "haphazard" decision-making...
Critics say workplace and neighborhood sweeps are harsh and indiscriminate, and they accuse the government of racial profiling, violating due process rights and committing other humanitarian abuses...
"Raids that break up families in that way, just kick in the door in the middle of the night, taking [a] father, a parent away, that's just not the American way. It must stop," Pelosi added at a Capitol Hill conference on border issues sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

But Obama also faces pressure from conservative lawmakers and many centrist Democrats, who say that workplace enforcement is needed to reduce the supply of jobs that attract illegal immigrants, and that any retreat in defending American jobs in a recession could ignite a populist backlash. When the White House announced plans last week to move more than 450 federal agents and equipment to the border to counter Mexico's drug cartels, lawmakers warned Napolitano against diverting money from workplace operations.
Rep. Lamar Smith (Tex.), ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said the administration "appears to be using border violence as an excuse" to undercut immigration enforcement in the nation's interior. "It makes no sense to take funds from one priority (worksite enforcement) to address a new priority (the growth in border violence). This is just robbing Peter to pay Paul," Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), the powerful chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee for homeland security, said in an e-mail. Led by Byrd, Congress this year ordered ICE to spend $127 million on workplace operations, $34 million more than President George W. Bush had requested. Reducing those amounts, even in ICE's overall $5 billion budget, would provoke a fight, senior aides in both parties said.
Napolitano has sought to chart a middle course by ordering a review of which immigrants are targeted for arrest. While a policy is still under development, Napolitano has said she intends to focus more on prosecuting criminal cases of wrongdoing by companies. Analysts say they also think ICE may conduct fewer raids, focusing routine enforcement on civil infractions of worker eligibility verification rules...

(ANTI) Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which seeks to reduce immigration, said Obama aides are trying to manage the issue until an economic turnaround permits an attempt to overhaul immigration laws. "I think their calculus is, how do they keep Hispanic groups happy enough without angering the broader public so much that they sabotage health care and their other priorities?" Krikorian said...
Within ICE, the front-office vetting of cases has led to some doubts. Last week, for example, ICE postponed plans to raid employers at a military-related facility in Chicago for which they had arranged to temporarily detain as many as 100 illegal immigrants, according to one (Rogue) official. A second official said Napolitano thought the investigative work was inadequate.
The raid would have been the second under the Obama administration. After the first, a Feb. 24 sweep of an engine-parts maker in Bellingham, Wash., that led to 28 arrests, Napolitano publicly expressed disappointment that ICE did not inform her beforehand and announced an investigation into agency communication practices.
In response, Leigh H. Winchell, the ICE special agent in charge (Rogue ICE Agent) in Seattle, wrote an e-mail to his staff -- subsequently leaked to conservative bloggers -- saying they had acted correctly. He (Rogue ICE Agent) also copied a statement from House Republicans calling Napolitano's review "beyond backwards."
"You did nothing wrong and you did everything right," Winchell wrote. "I cannot control the politics that take place with these types of situations, but I can remind you that you are great servants of this country and this agency."