So the Open Congress home page says Manchin will make the interim VW senator selection by Friday at 5 p.m. If the Senate stays in session over the weekend…the ball could get rolling on this a little quicker w/ all the procedural stuff that has to happen. Reid has to make the decision for them to work over the weekend.

I encourage everyone to blow up Reid’s email, phone & fax and ask him to stay in session over the weekend to work on this. They just had a July 4th break while so many could not celebrate due to their stalling. They need to work, even over the weekend, on this.

Like you, Unemployed1, I was so busy trying to find work, I did not realize that my 26 weeks were up. It is terrifying to think that in two weeks, my bills will begin to go upaid and my mortgage will be in default.

I have a feeling, though, that H.R. 4213 will be passed. But, I hope it will be soon. We are all feeling the pinch and we are all scared.

Maybe the politicians can kick in some of their “kick backs”.

I made minimum wage as a waitress and loved my job. But when my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 brain, and lung cancer, I quit to take care of her. When she passed away I started receiving unemployment benefits. I have been searching for a job for a year and six months now, and still nothing. The unemployment I receive gets me buy month to month, and without it I don’t know what I am going to do. I believe congress should make a decision now!!! Help us already!!

Unemployment Line Stays Long: Up to 26.4 Million Seek Full-Time Jobs

Unemployment is expected to remain above 9% for at least the next two years, according to Christopher Woock, research associate for The Conference Board, and other economists.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/wheres-the-work-up-to-26-4-million-seeking-full-time-jobs/19414735/

Can any one say “DEPRESSION”

i’m trying to follow this bouncing ball, but can’t seem to keep up! so there has not been a final vote yet? are you saying that tomorrow they will vote again and this time it will be minus the “stimulus” $25/week “extra”? OMG – i just don’t know what will happen if they don’t extend this. i guess we’ll all be filing for food stamps, welfare, medicade/medicare and whatever else is out there. i’m sick over this and can’t even sleep. to bad i don’t have a job with health benefits so that i could go to the doctor! OMG

This bill not passing today for some reason doesn’t suprise me one bit at all. I have paid my taxes for 20 years and never collected unemployment until this past year. I just exhausted my first extension today and the guy on the phone tells me no one has any idea as to if I will get my tier 2 extension. It figures right us Americans that pay are way and do as we should are always the one’s left in the cold. While Congress plays with our lives and gets richer by doing so. How is is that we have money to help other countries but when it comes to helping our own we are broke. I am sorry but I am severly frustrated and this bill needs to be passed one way or another. To Congress, just remember every extra day that passes by millions of peoples lives spin down the black hole we call society in America today. Help “US” to live our lives!

No extension vote till they come back from their EASTER break ( April 12th). I wonder how they all sleep at night when there are so many of us running out of time and money. I don’t sleep well, considering I can’t find a job and my Tier 1 will run out and I will not be able to get Tier 2, thanks to those in Washington not taking care of bills HR4851 or HR4213 before they go home for two weeks. I spend my nights wondering how to feed my daughter and keep a roof over her head. I’m a single parent and the sole provider. I’ve never been on welfare or homeless, but I may be homeless soon. I will make sure that I vote in November. As far as I’m concerned both parties let us down. They were to busy fighting over the health care bill. Maybe they should walk a mile in the shoes of someone fighting just to survive. Must be nice to have a two week vacation. No worries or thoughts of being without food or shelter and no worries about those without jobs and without benefits. Thanks Congress.

This bill not passing today for some reason doesn’t suprise me one bit at all. I have paid my taxes for 20 years and never collected unemployment until this past year. I just exhausted my first extension today and the guy on the phone tells me no one has any idea as to if I will get my tier 2 extension. It figures right us Americans that pay are way and do as we should are always the one’s left in the cold. While Congress plays with our lives and gets richer by doing so. How is is that we have money to help other countries but when it comes to helping our own we are broke. I am sorry but I am severly frustrated and this bill needs to be passed one way or another. To Congress, just remember every extra day that passes by millions of peoples lives spin down the black hole we call society in America today. Help “US” to live our lives! Figure this out soon.

What is wrong with this picture? Unemployment keeps rising even though our leaders say different, just because people who exaust their tiers are not counted anymore! I have friends that have been on unemployment 2 months longer than me but because my 2nd tier didnt run out before june 2nd i’m out in the cold why is that? i should get all my tiers as others have now it looks as i’ll be losing everything i own! i cant even buy food now or pay my bills, i will lose my home for sure!!! i want to work but ohio is so bad there are no jobs unless you work for the state they got plenty of work on bridges and roads but these people already make 25-30 bucks an hour doesnt seem fair. If you idiots in charge can bailout the banks and the automakers that alteady make millions but they can’t help the backbone of america us workers to no fault of our own lost or jobs with no hope in sight in finding decent work i mean who can live on 8 dollars an hour? PLEASE HELP US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven’t had time today to check back in here. Was glad to see the front page of the site. So, they are going to push through hr5618 for now. I’m not sure with how he worded it if they would then be working on hr4213 as well at a later date, which would bring back the extra $25. Anyways, to those who’ve been following along. We managed to get a little help. Our electric will stay on thanks to the local community action program. They paid most of what we needed to keep it on and then sent doctor letters in, so that they can’t shut us off due to medical needs in our home.

I’ve done the preliminary development of an Ohio based website for now. I’ll be fine tuning it and hopefully, with a little of the retro check, I’ll be able to buy the hosting and domain name. I designed it to go hand-in-hand with this site. It’s designed to be an easy to see showing of how our Senators are voting.

They aren’t done voting on amendments yet (watch directtv,ch 351) so how can u say its been voted down??

I am also one of the long term unemployed. I have two college degrees and 15 years experience in my field. Finding a job that even comes close to my old pay, is almost impossible. I have become one of the middle aged unemployable people. I have skills. I work hard. I want a job. Not only do we need longer extensions of current unemployment benefits, we need a real solution. I am tried of being poor. My husband was a general residential contractor. He hasn’t had real work for a couple of years. What I want is the government to provide small business loans with stimulus monies to people like us, so we can create or buy our own small business,hopefully end our joblessness. With the loss of income over the last few years, our good credit is gone. With a car repossessed, and we have many unpaid bills. Our credit score is in the toilet and through normal routes, we can never get any money to start a business. We are worth the risk, and we don’t want to live like we have anymore.

I have to agree with you on your comment. I was laid off from my place of employment 8 months ago and have been sending out resumes like crazy on a daily basis. I was making way more than what I get on unemployment! Do you think I love being on unemployment? Ummmm NO! But I have to in order to survive and keep a roof over my head. These people making the harsh and untrue remarks are people that have a job but have NO IDEA hard it is for the unemployed. Unless these people have or are going through hard times like us do not need to be leaving comments unless they have “been there and done that”. We need to take a look at why employers aren’t hiring new employees? It’s becuase they cut back on all their budgets and learned to work with “less” due to the recession. Why doesn’t congress force employers to hire a certain amount of “new” employers each month. Good luck in your job search and I wish you and your family the best! :)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/12/jon-kyl-extend-bush-tax-c_n_642862.html

This article proves what we’ve known all along. S. Kyl, the Republican Minority Whip out and out says to extend tax credits for the rich—EVEN IF IT ADDS TO THE DEFICIT!!! Yet he and his cronies are using the deficit argument in their attempts to not extend unemployment insurance. I expect some hypocrisy in politics, but this is a blatant slap to the face.

If I were wealthy, I would expect to pay more taxes. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. In fact I would happily pay them as it shows I’ve got so much money, it doesn’t matter (ahhh, must be nice) and it is my belief we take care of each other, no matter your party or socioeconomics.

Kyl is delusional and needs medication.

From http://progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2010/03/12/number-day-16 MediaMaven:
(post 1 of 3)

I recently received a message regarding this board.

I am from a DC PR agency, and while I cannot professionally endorse what you are trying to accomplish (conflict of interest purposes), I can provide you some information to help your cause.

I have read some of the great post regarding amending HR4213. I would like to advise another vehicle to get your message out there – a press release. All a press release needs is a:

Headline (center space)
Summary (goes directly under heading – center space)

(double space)

Body

Contact Info:

These politicians are just rediculous..what happened to the 2:00 vote? maybe my watch is wrong but it’s 2:30 on my watch.

Its going to come down to which Republican Senators will vote with us. These are the 4 repulicans who voted yes on our last extension. Lets direct our fax/call/email and ask them to extend benefits and add and extension for Tier 4 whose benefits have ended. Lets target them also. Its all going to come down to this. Lets do this!

-Scott Brown
-George Voinovich
-Susan Collins
-Olyimpia J. Snowe

scottbrown.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailscottbrown

voinovich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact

collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=Contact

snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenate.
bergcycles1

I am disgusted that I expected the thousands of unemployed Americans to be high on today’s Congressional Agenda; however, when I tune in my television to C-SPAN2, it seems that across-the-aisle attacking of Supreme Court nominees trumps the hungry and the homeless! My husband (unemployed and missed the “emergency extension” by a week) and I were just discussing the ridiculous travesty that is occurring on Capitol Hill at the expense of patriotic, hard-working (yes, my husband had been employed since he was 17 years old until this past fall) Americans. He suggested we launch our own operative to remove ALL incumbents, and I jokingly researched it and found that there is a VOTE OUT INCUMBENTS DEMOCRACY (VOID) movement. If we really want to send a message to these out-of-touch politicians, let’s do it! Chuck them all and start fresh!

The GOP is once again blocking a bill to let unemployed move from One Tier to the Next AND TO ALLOW AN ADDITIONAL 53 WEEKS OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR LONG TERM UNEMPLOYED.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/25/senate-begins-game-of-chi_n_513620.html

Yep, it’s one of the reasons that the most qualified for the job is getting discriminated against. They just don’t want us. When they are hiring one person for a job and they receive thousands of resumes for it they are picking the one they will get the most stimulus money for.
That lie that they keep spouting about 1 job for every 5 people is a big fat lie too because I know they get thousands of resumes for every one job. They are not counting millions and millions of people in that number because they are supposedly so-called “discouraged workers.”
Also, I’ve noticed that the kids that are lucky enough to find a job aren’t getting very many hours. My daughter and all of her friends are having that problem. I believe it is because they get stimulus money for every kid they hire for the summer so, they are hiring 4 of them and giving them 10 hours each instead of 1 at 40 hours.
This country is messed up!!

Just pass the damn bill already!!! We’re dying out here!

I really hope they get their selfs together real soon. I have $27.00 left to my name. How will I survive.

Nothing is EVER said about the BILLIONS that we are giving to AFGHANISTAN – trying to convert them to DEMOCRACY – when that won’t EVER HAPPEN – BECAUSE IT IS A RELIGIOUS WAR. As soon as we leave, if we ever leave – remember Haliburton/Chency is involved – just like Haliburton/Cheney/BP is involved in the Gulf – things will go back just the way they were. They will be “blowing up” each other AGAIN!!!!! We don’t have any business being in Afghanistan. Would we allow them to come into our country and do what we are doing in their country? The leader of Afghanistan is having meetings with the Taliban and we are giving them BILLIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There, now we can “Pay as you Go” the Unemployment Benefits that are so desperately needed in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

PASS THIS BILL ALEADT!!

It is utterly ridiculous to pass a bill that creates the Tiers with clear-cut defined guidelines which were assured to the American People then purposely withhold funding for it. How do you promise to the American People who have paid into Unemployment when it was at its lowest for years then yank away the funding for the benefits? Just exhausted Tier 3 and the additional week back to Tier 2. According to the already established Tier 4 and EB benefits, I should be eligible for those benefits but can’t because the state ran out of money and the Federal Government won’t fund them for the programs they promised we would be able to take. In the meantime we are afraid we are going to wind up on the street after getting turned down for excessive forebearance from Bank of America. The HAMP program which was also supposed to help us too. The government creates these programs which are SUPPOSED to HELP PEOPLE which are nothing but mirrors and ruses. POLITICS as usual.

This is unreal! I watched some of the Senate on CSpan and they do a lot of sitting and standing around. All the do otherwise, is argue about how each party is wrong. Why does it have to be about what democrats or republicans want? It should be about what we as americans want and need. I am not working and exhausted my 26 weeks. I did not realize they were ending this week, so now I have no money. I also thought that it would be extended since I was approved for the 599 because I am attending college. I called to find out why that did not kick in. I was told that I have to wait and see if I get this other extension first because I have to exhaust all other possibilities before i get the 599 extension. So as far as I know, I will get it, just not sure when. The politicians dont care, they have money and their bills are paid! I know there are many of us in the same spot here, I hope it all goes through and soon.

Then Senators who oppose this bill are attacking the middle class americans like myself who work in the construction industry. They want to piss and bitch and moan about boo hoo whos gonna pay for our unemployment.? Hmm i am gonna guess we are going to pay for it our selves, with the govts ability to throw trillions of dollars to banks, automakers supervising boards(not the workers), and yet they can not help out its own citizens. I know that with out the middle class construction workers NOBODY would have a car to drive built by americans, on roads that are built by american workers, to buildings and/or work built by american workers. Yet the senators bitch and moan wondering about taxes and shit. Set your political bickering aside step the f- up and take care of the people who put your fat asses in office. Otherwise we will getyou the hell out its simple

I can’t believe this is happening. sickening. I wish I had the money to leave this country.

Your July 31st date is irrelevant to the situation. If they pass this and still make it retroactive like they are supposed to then you will get the back pay for the weeks you have missed whether it is before July 31st or not. When you re-file on July 31st for your new benefit year it will deny you at first because you haven’t worked recently but just ignore that and if the date extension is passed you will move on to Tier 2 anyway.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/07/arkansas-senate-runoff-ob_n_602824.html
Article from Huffington Post re: Layoff victims now ineligible for health insurance subsidies by Arthur Delany.
We need congress to continue Cobra benefits for middle class families, Also, cuts in Medicaid the 24 billion that would go to help states with medicaid costs. Please contact senate and congress this week, The Senate must act now. Please call: 1- 888-340-6521(toll free number) and ask them to:
•Please restore six months of extra Medicaid help to states and COBRA health coverage subsidies for the unemployed to the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213);
•Protect existing provisions in H.R. 4213 to extend unemployment insurance, continue the TANF Emergency Fund, provide summer jobs for youth, and fund the National Housing Trust Fund;
•ENACT H.R. 4213 WITH THESE ESSENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS NOW!