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Another UI Vote Tonight?
July 1, 2010 - by Donny Shaw
Here’s what Lynda Waddington at the Iowa Independent is reporting:
Harkin hopeful unemployment extension will pass tonight
Another vote on a bill to extend federal unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term unemployed may come to the floor of the Senate as early as Thursday night, according to U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
“I hope that we can get this done — we only missed it by one vote yesterday — I hope we can pass it tonight before we go home for the 4th of July,” Harkin said early Thursday during a conference call with reporters.
I wasn’t on the call, so I can only go off what Waddington is reporting here, but I would suggest taking this with a big grain of salt. Harkin can “hope” that that the bill can be passed tonight without actually believing that it will even come up. My guess would be that Harkin is pretty much just expressing his desire to see the bill pass tonight, not predicting that it will. Again, hard to say without being on the call.
Here’s one problem — the below was entered into the congressional record last night after the Senate’s failed vote:
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order.
There being no objection, the Senate, at 9:40 p.m., adjourned until Monday, July 12, 2010, at 2 p.m.
Still, I suppose it is within the realm of possibility that the Senate could come back into session tonight. Many senators are still kicking around the Capitol because recently-deceased Sen. Robert Byrd [D, WV] is lying in repose in the Senate chamber today and they are paying their respects. Also, Senatus reported this morning that President Obama has called a meeting at 3:05 this afternoon with Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid [D, NV]. Details of the meeting have not been disclosed, but some folks are speculating it could be about the failed unemployment insurance vote. It could also be about the financial reform bill or any of the other issues the Senate is trying to work on. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Radio Iowa is reporting from what is likely the same call with Harkin. Their report seem to contradict the Iowa Independents’:
“Right now, we’re facing about 1.2-million people whose insurance benefits will be cut off at the end of this week,” Harkin says. “By the end of next week, it’ll be up to 1.7-million, and by July 10th, before we ever get back here, about 2.4-million people in America will have lost their benefits.”
The Senate is now in recess for the Independence Day holiday until July 12th, so Harkin says there’s no chance any of those people will get unemployment checks this weekend. “That means they’ll have no income whatsoever,” Harkin says.
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Displaying 1-30 of 110 total comments.
House is voting on HR 1491, it was approved, what did that mean?
WHAT???!! they would actually stay and help us? Please, I just got done patching the wound from yesterdays round of uncaring treatment. I am trying to figure out if I should pack anything or just walk away.
God please bless Senator Harkin for remembering us the hard-working Americans who can’t find a job. What a hero.
WE HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE BY TONITE. I JUST CALLED MR NELSONS OFFICE AND I URGE YOU ALL TO CALL HIS OFFICE AND SPEAK YOUR MIND. BELIEVE ME IT WILL WORK.
i just got the phone with nelsons office. due to senator Bird lying in state, they will not be in session until tomorrow. his secretary said the bill will probably, if possible, go to vote then.
that is a pat answer they have and are not informed of the issues now.Don’t give up.
How do we contact him whats the phone number.
I had a lovely surprise today. I called my credit protection on my CHASE credit card to postpone a payment for a month since my UI is gone in two weeks. The man that answered the phone had a heavy accent. I asked where he was – THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. I told him I did not want to talk to someone outside the country, and he told me he was the only person that could help me. This is insult to injury. The reason my credit card payments continued after I was laid off is that CHASE when they took over WAMU (sound familiar) cancelled my protection coverage that I had for years saying that they had contacted me that I needed to take out their coverage to continue protection. I never received that notice, but I can’t prove it. The American public is getting the screws put to it with the help of Congress. Also if all those call center jobs, etc. weren’t going out of the country, some of us unemployed might have jobs. The Republicans want to help their banking buddies – not us!
I quit everything Chase. They screwed up everything and messed up WAMU people so badly I will never use deal with them in any way again.
I am a former WaMu employee that had an employee credit card at 6.9% that chase raised to 29.9% and they tell me that they cannot lower it. I used that card to move when my job was being outsourced, only to be laid off one year later. I am still unemployed at almost 19 months (the 4th of July will be 19 months, how patriotic) in an area I know no one and cannot find employment. I am sick of this crap.
Harkin if you pull this one off, you might enter sainthood!
I know I will continue to support him! God be with this man and all the others who are with him!! Let all their hearts be open to understanding with compassion! Amen!
I’ve written and written and written until my fingers were sore, called, pleaded.
It’s time for action! MARCH ON WASHINGTON, JULY 12th. Are we sheeple or people who will stand up and fight for our rights. It’s pretty damn clear no one else is. People in other countries demonstrate at the drop of a hat. Do they have greater self-esteem and guts than us?
Further, if you’re strapped for money come next April 15th, don’t pay your taxes.
Our voices are going unheard. Time to raise the level.
Many people are planning a demonstration tomorrow on all the state capitols. I live too far away from mine and with no gas and no money I can’t go. I urge everyone who can go to please do so. Here is a link to one of the sights arranging the protests. http://www.giveusourmoney.org/
Count my husband and I in on the protest….we are about to become homeless and we have a 5 year old son… Us adults may deserve ill reaping….but our children do not!! MAKE THIS RIGHT CONGRESS!! And just in case…does anyone know of a “tent city” near fort worth texas (or shoot just about anywhere) that would be “safe” enough to go to if things do not go well? We do have a tent and camping supplies….hey…I am honest when it comes to reality….you have to do what you have to do.
Corporations have increased their cash reserves to $1.84 TRILLION, THE HIGHEST FIGURE IN HISTORY! Big business and the banks, after an unprecedented bailout by the public treasury, are hoarding the funds (Americans pay this back on their IRS tax bill). BIG CORPORATIONS EXECUTIVES ARE MAKING BIG BONUSES AND GETTING SALARY INCREASES FOR SHOWING HUGE PROFITS. The cash reserves of major corporations have jumped 26 percent in one year, the largest percentage increase in nearly 60 years. The cash reserves of working people, and particularly the unemployed, have not been so fortunate.
Republican bloc, the US Senate vote and defeat a proposed extension of unemployment benefits for unemployed workers. Many of these same Senators rushed through a $700 BILLION bailout of Wall Street in 2008 in a matter of days, cannot bring itself to support even the most meager subsistence for the unemployed workers who are the victims, not the perpetrators, of the economic crisis.
WWW.CHANGE.ORG
GO RIGHT NOW TO CSPAN TO WATCH AND LISTEN THE DEMOCRATES TRYING TO GET A VOTE ON UI EXT., AND AGAIN REPUBLICANS MAKING EXCUSES AS TO WHY THEY WON’T VOTE YES ON UI EXT. BILL.
YES it is on!
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME to Republicans and those few Democrats who blocked several U.I. Ext. bills from passing they turned their backs on THE PEOPLE again.
Most of these same House Representatives and Senators united to pass bills that gave their Wall Street/Banks SEVERAL billion $$$s in bailouts in 2008, starting with JP MORGAN CHASE, one of the many banks that took advantage of consumers.
Then their oil companies made billions in profit during the summer of 2008, as they strategically increased gas prices by $1-$2 on Americans at the pump. Americans had to pay for gas to get to work. Soon American’s household budgets were out of balance, and started foreclosing on home loans.
Your companies stayed fat$$ at the top by cutting jobs, while leaving The People jobless, without Unemployment Insurance, struggling and sadly disillusioned.
www.change.org
Amen to that…the IRS can not take everyone to jail if we all do it.
But then again….I will not be paying any taxes anyways being with out work. GIVE US A JOB! We visited a family member who’s neighbor hood is growing; there’s construction everywhere, my husband stopped and asked one of the workers who to speak with to get hired (he is a woodworker by trade) NONE out of about 25 of them or more out there spoke English. Why is it my husband who is a skilled “American Born” tradesmen can not find work but people who do not pay taxes can? Lets get our priorities in line please and start creating jobs so we can get out of this mess. Hire more people to clean the gulf, shoot have BP pay for the hotels and our government and BP help pay income, we will all travel to help, make money to survive and pay our taxes. THREE BIRDS WITH ONE STONE! Help the environment, help the unemployed and help the coastal area’s businesses.
NUSPIRITS I am a Manufacturer by trade,the last surviving job i had was making heat treaters for the Goverment. (Heattreating Aircraft parts) I got lucky and found the job in Corona Ca. After being there 8 months I was laid off because my supervisor couldn’t speak english very well. Me and himgot into it because he told me I need to learn spanish to be able to talk to the other workers as well as understand him. The company was GM ENTERPRISES IN CORONA CA. the owner is from India. All the workers except for 5 men were mexican and couldn’t speak English. Im an american born hispanic I know spanish but I speak English. I don’t want to be forced to speak spanish in order to keep my job. Ive been out of work since Thanksgiving Day 2008. How sad they gave me a turkey and my last pay check Thanksgiving eve. Welcome to America.
Democrates said Republicans will NOT let bill pass Senate today. Keep watching them on CSPAN, they should be ashamed of their lack of integrity.
Corporations have increased their cash reserves to $1.84 TRILLION, THE HIGHEST FIGURE IN HISTORY! The cash reserves of major corporations have jumped 26 percent in one year, the largest percentage increase in nearly 60 years. The cash reserves of working people, and particularly the unemployed, have not been so fortunate.
REPUBLICANS bloc, the SENATE vote and defeat sevaral proposed extension of unemployment benefits for unemployed workers. Many of these same Senators rushed through a $700 BILLION bailout of Wall Street in 2008 in a matter of days, cannot bring itself to support even the most meager subsistence for the unemployed workers who are the victims, not the perpetrators, of the economic crisis.
Why don’t our Republican Senators get that there is a great need?
The job market is broken.
The corporate executives are not going to give up their year-end profit bonus by adding jobs/payroll to their companies.
Here are a few stories on our jobless nation:
Job recovery hits a wall
http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/02/news/economy/jobs_june/index.htm
Job gloom at all time high
http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/03/news/economy/discouraged_workers/index.htm
7.9 million jobs lost- many forever
http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/02/news/economy/jobs_gone_forever/index.htm
Jobless claims spike
http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/01/news/economy/jobless_claims/index.htm
Thousands at risk for losing unemployment benefits
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/money/job_news/unemployment-benefits-jeopardy-6-28-2010
I hope you scum senators that voted against the bill choke on a hotdog over the 4th and die!! We will have are just do in november and you scum will see what it is like to be unemployed!!!! Also , I love how all the bill boards going up all over america with the names of all the senators that voted against the bill,you don’t have a prayer in hell of being elected again you scum!!! Lets see, 15 million unemployed and growing plus their family and friends = 30 million = all republican’s with out a job except 2 come november!!!! love it See you november scum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t get my hopes up again I don’t think I can take it. Why the congress gets to eat on 4th of July. I have to some how find a way to feed my children. There is no celebration for this family just broken dreams.
Right now the REPUBLICANS are still playing games and I beleive they will continue. The House can pass more bills but they need to get sent to the Senate where we will run into the same we have seen. If the ACTUAL unemplyment bill was able to make it to the floor without the REpublicans objecting, we would only need 51 votes in the senate to pass..but since they use a Fillabuster which causes the bill to stall and stay in debate, they need 60+ to defeat the debate/fillabuster to even get the actual bill voted on. This is exactly why the REPUBLICANS are responsible. They are INTENTIONALLY playing this game. They are playing games to affect what teh American people want and defeating what should be a majority rules to get this done weeks ago. They are playing with AMERICAN lives. Time to REVOLT and take any action you can to continue to pressure them. The house just stated the Senate will not be back in until 7/12 unless some Emergency session etc gets called which i doubt will happen.
Unemployment INSURANCE has been extended as an EMERGENCY every previous time in history it was needed-never has a fillabuster been used to block assistance to American families that needed it. They are using old tactics and the only tool available to affect this getting passed. They are playing with games and posturing. They DO NOT care and have DECLARED WAR on the American families by leaving and voting no-they stranded actual american families. The REPUBLICANS need to go.
I am calling Harkins office as I write… he is all over this and was calling as many people as he could. The only way they will call a special session is on REID.. CALL REID!!! Blow up his lines NOW Phone: 202-224-3542
Harkin’s office said they were actively working on getting a vote tonight?