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Ben Nelson Explains Why He's Blocking the UI Extension
July 1, 2010 - by Donny Shaw
Sen. Ben Nelson [D, NE] crossed the aisle last night and gave Republicans the final vote they needed to block the Democrats’ attempt to extend unemployment insurance. The Democrats had the support of 59% of the Senate for their extension bill, but Nelson’s defection allowed the Republicans to sustain a filibuster of the Democrats’ attempt to move the bill to the floor for an up-or down vote. Breaking a filibusters requires a 3/5ths majority, or 60 votes.
Since Nelson is now standing between millions of unemployed Americans struggling to stay afloat until the extension is passed (most likely in mid July) and the immediate relief Democrats are trying to provide, it’s worth being aware of his reasoning. Below is a long excerpt from a statement he released the day before he blocked the Senate’s last attempt to pass an extension:
The bill has been revised several times already and each time the deficit spending was less. Tough choices are possible and necessary to not add to the deficit.
In early 2009, we passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with emergency spending to address an emergency, indeed a crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Americans were losing their jobs each month. We were in the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Some argue it wasn’t necessary, but the fact is today the economy is recovering and the Recovery Act clearly contributed to the welcome economic improvement.
Some also say we need more emergency spending now to keep the recovery going. But in my view it could jeopardize the recovery and would add to our already enormous deficit, likely to be around $1.4 trillion for the second year in a row.
I’d note that on April 13, 2010 the Nebraska Legislature adopted LR538, a resolution noting that the national debt has continued to grow, generating concern from economists, legislators and taxpayers across the country and that stated, ‘The Legislature remains committed to seeking a federal balanced budget.’
Further, $1 billion of the $1.5 billion Nebraska is to receive from the Recovery Act hasn’t yet been spent, according to the state’s recovery website. That includes about $250 million in state fiscal stabilization funds that will be spent in fiscal year 2011.
It’s important to note that the state of Nebraska delayed using Recovery Act funds for unemployment benefits for a year, and then only after the Legislature took the initiative to act on it.
So, Congress should provide additional unemployment benefits but not as a bailout to the states that worsens the deficit and passes the bills onto our children.
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Comments
Displaying 31-60 of 71 total comments.
Ben Nelson,
You are a poor excuse for a man, standing there grinning, while millions of Americans are wondering how to eat tonight and tomorrow night,etc. Your explanation as to why you did what you did is not close to acceptable. In fact, it is reprehensible that you would even try to justify it by telling us the unemployment numbers now are not as bad as it was when the recession first hit. How dare you? You have no right to play games with people’s lives and future. You are going to have blood on your hands and you are not going to be able to explain that away. You are the only fucking Democrat that choose to stand out and go against the party because of money? because of how it going to affect the deficit? Fuck the deficit! Who in the hell cares about grandchildren having to pay the deficit if the children now are suffering? You are an immoral, dumbass republican in disguise!
The house has passed the Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill 270-153 today, here is the link below. I want to know where to look to see the vote.. I can’t find on this site who in the house voted against it. Anyone who figures it out please post. Now the Senate needs to vote on it and the President sign it.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/01/news/economy/unemployment_benefits_extension/
I do not believe in heaven and hell, but I hope there is a hell, and a special level for all the members of the Senate.
I dont understand why OBAMA couldnt have had them wait and have this taken care of before they left. For one didnt they leave early? What state of destitude do they think we will be in when they do return on the 12th? I feel like someone if they really cared could have made them stay!
Stock markets tank
Unemployment rises
Housing tanks
2,000,000 without hope for the 4th of July week. How is that working out for you Mr. and Mrs. Senators?
Is this hope and change?
“How is that working out for you Mr. and Mrs. Senators?”
It’s working out just fine for them, you think they ever feel the pain? Ha, they’re vacationing in the Hamptons while you’re in the welfare line. They don’t care about you or me, all they care about is power.
I hope the Senate will vote tonight on the Unemployment Extension and it will pass via Senators Reid and Harkin’s attempts to help the millions of unemployed. So many people are screaming for help and going crazy out of frustration, including, myself. Only if it were truly that easy to just find a job and move on. Please don’t abandon the millions of Americans and our kids who are the future of this great nation.
I don’t see how they can afford not to. If each person on unemployment spends $5, you can do the math, that is a great deal of money flowing back into the economy. If they don’t pass it, people on unemployment will not be able to pay their bills which will in turn further the recession. It’s a domino affect. I can’t believe they don’t see this. They need to pass the bill and not make it personal. I get the feeling those opposed are just fighting with those who are not, so it stopped being about the bill and more about winning some stupid fight.
Senator Nelson is a dick!
he’s blocking it cause he doesn’t give a sh*#! He’s going to have a wonderful recess while we can’t even afford to feed our kids and families while we sit and wait for them to finish their recess.
I think “recess” is the key term. Paid vacation is another way of putting it!
I believe the real reason for no votes is that not one of the senators have suffered financially. They don’t have a clue what it is like to be out of work with no one to assist them. I can almost guarantee that if they did need help, they have unlimited resources from Dad. So while they rush to leave for the July fourth break, their thoughts are far from thinking about the unemployed trying to find a meal or even money for a roll of TP
well senator nelson you get the damn douchebag of the year award. I hope satan puts a pinaaple in your ass, as for the rest of you…you cant call yourselves christians and be so inhumane whatever happened to “we the people” when did it turn into “us the senators”
Blah, blah, blah. Hes just doing what his lobbyist tell him to do. 100% politician here folks. Are his eyes brown? Because he is full of it!
Well, if I were senator Ben Nelson, I would be worried about potential Timothy McVeighs out there, who are unemployed, and may be involved in a militia. Maybe even in his own state: http://tallgrassguard.tripod.com/
Check out #32 in their FAQS.
Seems to me old Bennie boy could be asking for trouble, with his “F U Grin” in that picture.
I’m not going to spend time researching other states militia groups for Republican senators. My point has been made.
My concern is IRS 181, but I feel for those unemployed, who have to wait longer and may not be able to bounce back even when/if this bill passes. They may have already lost their house, car, etc.
I will vote against ANY incumbent come November, and again in 2012.
My other point (made a few days ago) is: Aren’t UI benefits already paid?
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=104985,00.html
Then there’s NO reason this bill should not be passed…YESTERDAY!
Happy 4th to all! As much as possible!
You make good points. The thing I am most concerned about is people that in such bad situations that they do something self destructive or violent. This being a holiday weekend I fear for the mental of those effected by the situation congress has put us in. Stress is a powerful thing.
I hope these people who rejected this bill r haunted @ night and misrible. I was laid off n dec n look for work every day I keep my head up and smile everyday I stay positvie but I haven had any funds for almost a month n now I sit n the dark as I can’t Pay the edison bill. I wonder how long I can live like this with no hope for the next day.. these people dnt have hearts r feelings for anyone but them selves
I hope he is haunted @ night. And can’t sleep knowing he rejected food from babies kids and peoples mouths
HOWS IT FEEL TO BE IN CONTROL OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLES LIVES KINDA LIKE HITLER YOU ARE AND I REFUSE TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT WHICH IS A BIG PART OF THIS COUNTRYS DOWNFALL ARE FUCKIN PIECE OF SHIT YOU SIDE WITH THE NO PARTY YOU ARE LESS THAN A PIECE OF SHIT IF YOU WERE ON FIRE I WOULDN’T PISS ON YOU. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DEFECIT SPENDING LIKE THE REPUBLICANS YOUR IN BED WITH YOUR A DISGUSTING EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING.LETS SEE HOW YOU VOTE FOR WAR MONEY YOU SHOULD BE IMPEACHED I DON’T KNOW IF YOU CAN DO THAT TO A SENATOR BUT IF YOU CAN YOU SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT LONG BEFORE YOU 2012 ELECTION YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE PEOPLE OF NEBRASKA AND THE UNITED STATES YOU CAN KISS 15 MILLION OF OUR ASSES BUT I DON’T THINK I’D EVEN LET YOU DO THAT HAPPY 4TH OF JULY DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS I DOUBT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love it!!!!
Here is Ben Nelsons # 1-402-441-4600 and 1-202-224-6551, I called today and left messages with 2 different secretaries in his 2 offices. Ben Nelson SUCKS!
Nelson, hope you choke on a hotdog over the 4th you sorry excuse for a human, also just wanted to let you in on something , there is an estimate 30 millon peolpe standing together with the unemployed and friends and family and as I write this , there are people putting together a boycott against your state of nebraska to devistate the economy there where your peolpe will run your sorry ass out of the state and maybe the country,because I know there would be no state that would allow you into there state,you went to far and pissed off 30 million peole and growing and you have made your bed and now your going to lie in it you sorry crap of a person!!!!!!!! oh ya by the way, have a nice 4th of july!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obviously congress is not seeing the big picture, the unemployed that will be voting them out have employed family and friends that aren’t going to sit and let them get away with what they are doing to their unemployed family members. The full effect has not happen yet this is not the 1929, today guns are easy to get and this is not a good thing especially with people who are upset. They will have more people applying for welfare, more child abuse cases means more money to foster these kids, more homeless shelters and food banks turning people away and the states aren’t going to have enough money to meet the demands. Only other place it can come from is the federal government so in the end the deficit will still be going up if not more because people will have already lost everything they own and will have to start from scratch and well since they couldn’t pay their bills their credit is going to be bad which effects their chances at employment!
Fuck you, Nelson.
Watch out you don’t choke on an errant piece of chicken or hot dog consumed at a remote location far from emergency services.
I also certainly hope you soon face homelessness. I’d like to meet you in a tent city. So would a lot of other people.
Senator Nelson all i can say is god forgive uuuu for being heartless. You need to get off your high horse and do your job…… does it really matter where the money comes from to pay for the ex unemployment it all comes from the tax payers which wound be us,Just more delay tactics !!!!!!!!!
I think people are beginning to see what is happening here. Business is back and making profit with a drastically reduced workforce. They (with the help of the Repubs) are attempting to write off all of the unemployed. The jobs we’ve lost are not coming back. The only way we are going to be heard is through civil disobedience (I’m not condoning violence – violence is an absolute last resort). If you are heavily affected by the poor decisions being made in the Senate then I encourage you to group up with others in the same situation and make your suffering seen. Make such a large scene that the media can no longer choose to ignore us – ‘The New Homeless’. Dont hide under a bridge, dont go to shelters – camp right in the middle of your town in large groups. Stop traffic. Disrupt the system. It’s the only way now for us to be heard. They obviously dont care about the American citizen. The only way they’ll start caring is if they’re FORCED to deal with the consequences of their actions.
Senator Nelson all I can say is god forgive uuuu for being heartless. You need to get off your high horse and do your job…… does it really matter where the money comes from to pay for the extended unemployment it all comes from the tax payers which would be us,Just more delay tactics !!!!!!!!!
Shame on you Ben Nelson, no excuses…
Sen. Ben Nelson said he’s not passing because his state of Nebraska only has a 4.9% unemployment rate.
That is such BS because what if after Hurricane Katrina all of the unaffected states said we don’t want to fund cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina because it doesn’t affect my state. That would mean that any extra ememgency money that had to be allocated by congress wouldn’t pass because only Louisina & Mississipi would vote for it.
We are all americans… you’re a disgrace
Dem Senators need to band together and agree not to vote for any of Ben Nelson’s pet projects in Nebraska… payback. It doesn’t affect my state.