I’m struggling to find a Press Release from even one elected New Hampshire democrat in DC on the expiration of unemployment benefits after the entire congress went home for the holiday weekend without passing one. By all accounts no one was blocking, stopping, or stalling, it just didn’t get done. But what of the earth shattering consequences?
Back in March Paul Hodes had this to say about failing to pass an extension.
Today, Paul Hodes blasted Senate Republicans as they continue to put the well-being of families across America and in New Hampshire at risk with their Washington-insider tactics and political stunts. Key leaders in the Republican Party have stood up for obstructionism, denying an up-or-down vote to fund critical programs like unemployment insurance
Carol Shea Porter had this to say.
There should be no doubt that the expiration of unemployment benefits at the end of this month would, in fact, be an emergency for millions of Americans who currently rely on these benefits. The Department of Labor has estimated that up to 2.7 million Americans could exhaust their benefits by May 1 if an extension is not passed. For these individuals and families, the loss of a job is an emergency. Allowing the clock to run out on these benefits while the "emergency" nature is discussed in the Senate is unconscionable.
Unconscionable. But not when the democrat leadership lets the deadline slip by unattended?
How about Senator Jeanne Shaheen?
"Now, there may be some people who don’t realize the damage caused by these lapses. So I want to point out what is happening to too many people because of this filibuster.
"First, this is about the struggles faced by individual workers and their families. Right now, with a record number of unemployed workers competing for each job, it’s become harder than ever for people who lose a job to get back to work. Of the 15 million Americans who are out of work today, nearly six million (more than one in three) have run through the benefits provided by their states.
"These six million people are the ones served by federal unemployment, a critical safety net that helps families buy gas and groceries, heat their homes, and pay the mortgage while they look for that next job.
"Now, because of the actions of just one member of this body, actions that I believe are irresponsible, more than 1.2 million people will get their last check during the month of March.
Yes. Workers. Families. So Jeanne, Carol, Paul? Now that you’ve failed to find time in your hectic legislative calendars to renew unemployment benefits before they expired, let me just review. Families at risk? Unconscionable? Irresponsible? Is that crickets I hear? And how is it you can be apoplectic on the issue one moment, and silent the next? Are you Hypocrites? How about pandering populists? Playing politics with unemployment?
On a postive note–if you are a democrat–failing to renew unemployment benefits will eventually make the unemployment numbers look better on the run up to the November elections. Of course unemployed people have more time to vote. Wonder if the democrats thought about that over the long holiday weekend.
Cross Posted At NH Insider
