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Senate Breaks GOP Filibuster of Unemployment Extension, Bill Now Set to Become Law
July 20, 2010 - by Donny Shaw
UPDATE, 9:45 p.m.: I’m traveling, so a little late with the updates here, but it looks like this finally passed earlier this evening by a vote of 59-39. The bill now moves back to the House of Representatives for one more vote. They are expected to hold that vote tomorrow and the bill will most likely be signed into law tomorrow as well.
UPDATE, 5:45 p.m.: The Senate is voting right now on 5 Republican amendments to the bill and will vote on final passage of the bill after these votes. None of the amendments are expected to pass. Under Senate rules, the final vote on passage must happen before 9 p.m. this evening. You can follow along with the votes live on C-SPAN 2.
Original post below…
After 6 weeks of failure and delay, the Senate this afternoon finally voted to end a Republican filibuster of the unemployment insurance extension bill, allowing it to move forward towards final passage and becoming law. The Senate still has to take one more vote on the bill, but the motion they passed this afternoon was the big hurdle that, until now, they had been unable to overcome. The bill is now virtually guaranteed to be signed into law this week.
Sen. Carte Goodwin [D, WV], West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin’s pick for replacing the late Sen. Robert Byrd [D, WV], was sworn-in just moments before the Senate voted on the motion to end the Republican filibuster, and he provided Democrats with the 60th vote they needed to pass it. One Democrat, Sen. Ben Nelson [D, NE], voted with Republicans against the motion, and two Republicans, Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME] and Sen. Olympia Snowe [R, ME], crossed the aisle to vote with the Democrats.
Under Senate rules, a vote on pasage of the bill itself must now occur within 30 hours. The vote on passage requires a simple majority of 51 “ayes” to pass, not 60 like the motion to break the filibuster. Since the Democrats have just shown that they have more than 51 votes for the bill, the Republicans may agree to letting the final vote happen before the 30-hour clock has completely run out.
What’s in the Bill?
This bill, H.R. 4213, began as a $141 billion, 426-page omnibus package of stimulus spending, tax measures, unemployment insurance and more. But what the Senate voted to move forward with today (S. Amdt. 4425) is revision of the bill that whittles it down to $34 billion, 13 pages and includes only one substantial item — an extension of unemployment insurance for people who have been out of work for 6 months or longer. You can even see this change reflected in the title of the bill. It was originally called — somewhat awkwardly — the “American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act.” It has now been renamed simply the “Unemployment Compensation Extension Act.”
The filing deadline for unemployment insurance benfits expired on June 2nd; this bill would extend that deadline until November 30, 2010, allowing unemploed individuals who exhaust their current tier of benefits, or who have exhausted their last tier since June 2nd, can file to move into the next tier of benefits.
The bill also provides for benefits to be paid back retroactively for people who have seen their payments cut off since the filing deadline expired on June 2.
Additionally, it includes an extension of the closing deadline for the first-time homebuyers tax credit, but that provision is redundant with a bill that was signed into law on July 2nd (H.R. 5623). There are also three revenue-raiser provisions in the bill — changes to the Travel Promotion Act, cracking down on tax fraud committed by prisoners, and recessions from the Defense Department budget. These are three provisions are estimated to raise $146 million over the next ten years and generally non-controversial. You can read more about them here.
What’s Not in the Bill?
Tier V — The bill would not create additional weeks of unemployment benefits. 99 weeks (Tier IV) would still be the maximum amount of a time a person could receive benefits for in states with high unemployment rates, and 86 weeks (Tier III) would still be the max in states with low unemployment rates.
Federal Additional Compensation Program — This stimulus program, which provided an extra $25 per week in unemployment benefits payments, would not be extended under the bill. That means that all retroactive payments would be for $25 less than what they were before June 2nd, as will all payments in new tiers.
COBRA — These benefits for helping unemployed people pay for health insurance were dropped from the bill in a previous iteration. They will not be extended in this bill and there is no plan to extend them during this session of Congress.
What Happens Next?
As I mentioned above, the Senate will take one more vote on the bill within the next 30 hours. Once that passes, they will send it over to the House of Representatives, which will vote on agreeing to the Senate’s changes to the bill. The House already has that vote on their schedule for the week, and it is expected to pass easily. After that, the bill will be enrolled and sent to President Obama for his signature. That could happen by the end of the week, possibly even as soon as Wednesday afternoon.
Once the bill is law, state labor departments will immediately begin implementing it and sending out payments. As Annie Lowrey at the Washington Independent explains, these agencies are already preparing for the law, but the combination of high unemployment and uncertainty over what Congress will do with the benefits has given them a real logistical headache and may cause some hiccups in implementation.
To find and share information on how this bill is being implemented in your state, see the Benefit Wiki project on OpenCongress.
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Displaying 271-300 of 395 total comments.
The 30 hour wait is pointless and has angered me more than anything the Republicans have done. It seems clear from what we have seen here there will be no more help for the unemployed if there is no possiblity of 60 votes on any bill.
THIS CALL GOES OUT TO ALL ALL VOTING UNEMPLOYED, X UNEMPLOYED AND TEMP WORKERS THIS FALL- WE NEED TO GET OUT & VOTE & HELP DEMS TO WIN NOVEMBER SENATE ELECTIONS—
NBFBM,
That may be true, but the reality is if the Senate can’t get 60 votes on any measure like this, they won’t pass anything else or will use that reason as an excuse.
There may be politics involved like this but you can’t deny many Republicans have come out publicly against passing the extension and many Dems have come out publicly for it.
We may be a small part of the voting block (much larger if you count temps and underemployed) but what else can we do? You only have two choices so I’m banking on the lesser of two evils.
I for get his name but a republican proposed a couple months back that we could add additional weeks beyond 99 and pay for it by taking back funds congress has given to government agencies but that have not been used for what the money was allocated for for more then two years, he found over $100 billion that could provide 26 weeks for all the unemployed but the idea has been rejected, but the same republican also either blocked or threatened to block the extension 4851 which caused a gap in benefits for some, this is all just a big game to these people.
The republicans will vote for any unemployment bill that is paid for including a 5th tier we need someone to propose a 5th tier that is funded, that would pass.
The problem we face is that a passable bill will pass easily without conflict, that helps neither party in the upcoming election they need drama to motivate voters.
I would like to see everything paid for and do not see what is wrong with using stimulus funds to pay for the extensions, but also if the dems are going to flat out refuse to pay for them I would think the republicans could make an exception to paygo for unemployment benefits.
But both side are posturing and playing politics nether party represents us.
It was coburn? the dude from Kentucky i think that proposed adding and paying for additional weeks by I thinktaking back money that was not used within two years for the purpose it was given, but he was also the person that threatened to block 4851 causing a gap in benefits for some.
they have the votes to help us if the leadership would quit playing games.
correction coburn is form Oklahoma he is talking on cspan 2 now
Ohh great spirits of the middle earth, thank you your honorable Buddha for making this bill possible, ohh Lord thank you!
bob casey is talking about UI on cspan2
Via C-span Votes on unemployment benefits bill expected mid-afternoon
I’m seeing now on CSPAN-2 that the final vote is expected mid-afternoon.
Also, for those in Indiana…well any state for that matter, the state UI office is saying it will take them a couple of weeks to push payments out because they have to reprogram computer systems. I urge everyone to contact Gov. Mitch Daniels (or whomever in your state) to get the IT people on setting up the computers now! They know the bill passage is coming. No one should have wait any longer.
They are supposed to be ready NOW so that all that they have to do is print checks or deposit onto debit cards.
I just saw that DeMint of SC wants to repeal estate inheritance taxes. Just vote no, I am sure all of us hardworking americans won’t mind paying 1 or 2% of any inheritance we get. This bill only helps out the very rich. Walmart is worth BILLONS. Think of the revenue that would create in a 1 or 2% tax
the inheritance tax is not 1-2% it is 55% tax on money that has already been taxed.
What it does is it destroys small farms, a farm or ranch family making $40-$60,000 a year might have land now valued at $5 million so when dad dies they family has to come up with $2.75 million in taxes or sale the farm to pay the taxes, how does someone making $40,000 come up with $2.75 million (55% of the land value) and even if they could borrow it does it make any since to borrow 2,75 million for a business that make you $40,000 a year.
the death tax is a bad bad thing.
A families livelihood should not be destroyed just because dad dies.
Wouldn’t that be passing on debt to “Our Children and Grand-Children” as the Republicans say????
in the most literal since, LOL
That’s what life insurance is for.
Congress enacted the Federal Estate Tax in 1916. The $600,000 exemption amount (that is before W’s administration started to gradually raise the exemption amount) was a hell of a lot of money back then. Congress needs to raise the estate exemption amount, and to make sure it keeps up with inflation. That way the truly rich would and should pay estate tax.
i could agree with it if it was set up like it was in 1916
$600,000.00 in 1916 had the same buying power as $12,579,553.40 in 2010.
http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm (this is a neat tool but kind of depressing)
so even if the exemption allowed is less then half of what it allowed in 1916 (accounting for inflation)
it would protect family’s that might not be rich but own a McDonalds franchise or a convince store. I like the idea of preventing a a permanent rich controlling class in this country, so as it was written in 1916 it makes since its just a matter of were the exemption is set.
according to Sen Bernie Sanders repealing this tax would only benefit the top 3% of the wealthyist people in the country. It wouldn’t do anything for us at all. When my mother-in law passed a few years ago we inherated about $20,000 and had tp pay no tax on that amount
only 1% of the US farms or has ranches, I do not consider the inian that has the corner 7-11 to be rich but he is in the top 3% because he own a business even if he make less then $100,000 a year owning the asset makes him considered rich, so his family would be hurt.
I could agree with it if it didn’t effect your middle class families, if it exempted say the first 5 million in assets of if it didn’t apply to real estate that produces income for a family such as ranch land, restaurants or grocery stores as is the tax hurts the wrong people. The super rich hide all there assets in trusts so they are not taxed anyway, if you own a subway sandwich shop you can’t do that. I want to see more small business owners. This tax does nothing to the giant corporations but it can kill small businesses.
Senator Sanders also said that they couldn’t find a family farm who lost the farm due to Federal estate tax. He basically is saying it was a myth created by the GOP.
Nancy Pelosi needs to be kicked out of Congress based on ignorance period. If you don’t know what I’m talking about go to YouTube and look up any of the VIDEO"S labed “NANCY PELOSI DUMBER THAN SOAP” or “PELOSI We Have to Pass the Health Care Bill so that you can FIND” or “Try not to laugh watching this video of Nancy Pelosi” THIS WOMAN REALLY Is, STUPID IS AS A STUPID DOES!!!!!! Hopefully some you will get a laugh out of the video’s. We All Could Use a Laugh Right Now!!!!!!
Those of us from MD knew that years ao
LMFAO!!!!!!
Nancy Pelosi makes stupid look smart!
Come on Reid, call for the vote already. Make the Rebublicans stand up and say no. JUST DO SOMETHING BESIDES WASTING TIME ALL AFTERNOON. WE CANNOT AFFORD FOR ANOTHER DAY TO GO BY WITHOUT THIS VOTE TAKING PLACE AND 9PM TONIGHT IS JUST LUDICROUS. DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT LEAVING BEFORE THE VOTE IS TAKEN!!!! YOU CAN DO THAT MUCH FOR US.
This why Reid should have kept Senate in Session on July 1st and not let any Senators leave for Fourth of July Break until they had a resolution on any of the bills that were submitted to Congress!!!!!!
happy for everyone but this still does not help the 99ers :(
I can think of many ways to put money back into the system. Starting with cutting thier pay, instead of them getting pay raises. Hasnt a lot of companys made thier employees take pay cuts? Yes they have, so should our government. Stop sending money over seas for wars, but we have money set aside to help foriegn orphans. Well we have Orphans here! We have homeless and hungry here. We have people without electricity.Stop saving the crooked big buisness and banks, that bail out money could have gone to us and that would have straightened out a lot. Oh and all of these big movie stars and rock stars and sports figures that throw Millions for aide to foriegn countrys but do nothing to raise money for the Americans, do you forget who your fans are that helped you to become so rich? My entire attitude has changed towards any of these people. GRRRRRR TY for letting me vent :o)
Has anyone heard anything about a bailout for ups?
what’s up with UPS are they in financial trouble or something?