Ed Schultz is fired up about Congressional and Presidential inaction for long term unemployed, 99ers

Ed Schultz, keeping his promise to the unemployed remains a strong voice to members of Congress and the President to do something for the long term unemployed.



This was from Schultz's July 8, 2010 broadcast and Congress needs to see this before their return on Monday, July 12, 2010.  The energy that Schultz has about this issue is the same fire and passion needed from the unemployed out there who seek to protest the government on this issue.  The Senate needs the political will to do something and the pressure needs to mount from all directions.

H.R. 4213 Now Being Debated By US Senate

The democratic leadership in the Senate has invoked cloture on H.R. 4213 and the bill is scheduled to be passed before the end of this week.  However, this may prove to be difficult if at least one republican can come to the aid of jobless for the passage.  Without a 60 vote super majority, it is proving to be more and more difficult to pass any legislation in the United States Senate. 

According to the United States Department of Labor, over 300,000 persons will lose their benefits this week alone - who are on the current available tiers of unemployment.  Unless of course, H.R. 4213 (better known as the Extenders Bill) can get passed this week.  According to staffers at Reid's office, the bill is expected to pass this week in the US Senate and at that point it is ready for the President. 

The passage of H.R. 4213, the "extenders bill" will guarantee benefits for those in the existing tiers of unemployment insurance through November.  This bill also reinstates tax cuts which have expired for business and raises taxes for hedge fund managers.

This bill does not add additional weeks for anyone who has exhausted the current federal maximum of 99 weeks.

ARTICLE CORRECTION: 

At the date and time of this posting, it is incorrect that Harry Reid had filed cloture and as a reader pointed out - the measure will need to go back to the U.S. House before it can go to the President.  My sincere apologies on this. Wrong information has never been the intent of this blogger.

As more correct information is known - I will keep you posted. 

Keep making the corrections for others in comments.  As crazy as this Congress is, it is about the same as predicting the weather without a satellite image.  Cut me some slack - let's move forward.  Check out the ticker above for the latest news sources on H.R. 4213 and check out the sidebar for more resources.  Do your own searches for news also. 

This is a reader-dependent blog and I thank each and every one of you posting relevant and useful comments and correcting the information as we know it (or think we know it). 

After watching some of the boards out there - guys do not turn on each other.  It serves no purpose to divide no matter how angry we get.  Your frustration is with the government and the lack of jobs.  Never forget that.  Any other frustration in your life is minor and a side effect of inaction of government and the lack of jobs.

Eve Of Tier 5 Petition Delivery - Michael Thornton, Rochester Unemployment Examiner Helps As Always Reporting Where This Effort Is

This article sums up where we are at this point:  Tier 5: Sen. Reid’s office: will explore long term unemployed policies after passage of H.R. 4213  (Michael Thornton, Rochester Unemployment Examiner). 

The direction that seems to be most likely is the passage of HR 4213 first so that the persons unemployed on current tiers get their extension through the end of the year.  And I'm glad of that.  After thinking about it, if this bill were to get ping-ponged back and forth to add weeks for those who have exhausted weeks, it might slow down the process for those who have benefits expiring on June 2nd.  We must be mindful of that group of unemployed persons as well because so many in that group who have not exhausted benefits yet are helping those who have exhausted benefits with our cause to get a Tier 5!

Congress might not have met the deadline and left many more expiring their benefits if HR 4213 was held up even longer.

With that said, just like the rest of you out there.  I hope that Senator Reid takes up the need for a Tier 5 or extending the weeks on current tiers immediately after HR 4213 is law.  We are continuing to send our messages and contact our elected representatives.  Until there is a bill introduced, Congress will not see any relief from the jobless who have exhausted benefits and who are advocating for a Tier 5. 

No matter what Tier 5 campaign that exists - it is still alive and well and participation is much appreciated.

We are still waiting for the results of the meeting this Thursday (tomorrow) at 2PM that Issa Decker and Robert Grone are having with Mr. Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader.  Everyone in the cause for a Tier 5 is hoping to get some type of statement on the record and most importantly, get a bill on the floor!

More information as it is known will be posted and the continuation of the Jobless In America series of articles for all of the states will be continued.  Also, everyone should be aware that the efforts of so many advocates for Tier 5 was noted in the Huffington Post.  HuffPo can bring us more media coverage if they continue to cover the story.  Here is that article also released today:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/19/website-raises-1000-to-br_n_581676.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Nevada Unemployment Rate 13.7% - 372,675 Nevadans Are Depending On Tier 5 Unemployment Insurance

According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nevada has a 13.4% (recently 13.7 but not much of a difference) unemployment rate.  Las Vegas has a 14.1% unemployment rate.  In areas such as North Las Vegas the unemployment rate is a staggering 15.4%.  Each and every major city in the State of Nevada has double digit unemployment.  As many know, the tourism industry dominates the state's economy.  Because of the nature of the tourism industry, Nevada may be one of the last states to recover from the nation's unemployment crisis. 

According to the United States Census Bureau with the assistance of Google Data, the total population of Nevada is 2,643,085.  This equates to 372,675 jobless Nevadans.  The numbers are high but not measured in millions as is the case in many other states. 

Perhaps I should rethink my previous opinion that most members of Congress care whether or not they get re-elected.  At least on the surface it does not seem that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid cares about re-election.  After all, Reid's state is second in the nation for the highest unemployment rate percentage. The 400,000 voters in Nevada who may make their vote based on the unemployment rate can make or break the results of an election and there are at least that many in Nevada who have a close eye on the actions or inaction of the United States Senate Majority Leader on this issue.  Or perhaps Reid is catering more to the needs of the persons who did not vote him into office in an effort to gain bi-partisan support of zero votes?  Not a wise strategy for anyone seeking re-election.

It is notable and honorable that Senator Reid has continued to support unemployment extensions through his voting record.  That is certainly more than half of the other Senators in high unemployment states.  But how many thousands are in Nevada right now wondering if the plug will be pulled on them on June 2nd or have already had that plug pulled and are without any income or an opportunity for a job.  To those thousands in Nevada alone, Reid is not getting the job done if the only two choices are no jobs and no extended unemployment insurance.  Neither of these are choices the jobless have control to change, Senator Reid.

Each and every day the jobless are making it more and more clear to their elected officials and members of the press that they are unemployed and broke - not uneducated and ignorant.  These persons are unemployed through no fault of their own and each and every day wake up to find themselves feeling more and more hopeless as they witness inaction from government to extend benefit amounts beyond the current maximum of 99 weeks, very few jobs on the market, and coping with the stress of finding the need to re-invent themselves and make their resume and their appearance more marketable to compete for the few jobs that even exist. 

The unemployed in this country cannot fairly compete for these jobs without the much needed continued assistance from unemployment insurance and 99 weeks does not fit the needs for far too many Americans.  It was mentioned in one the previous postings that the jobless only recently started to receive the chance to fairly try to compete for jobs.  The economy only began to grow jobs in Spring of this year and the jobs that have been created (although admirable) are still far less than what the economy lost from 2007-2009. 

How many more times do we need to tell government that if there are not enough jobs for every American, how can anyone say that 99 weeks of benefits is the maximum?  Also, why are we basing assistance for unemployed based on percentages?  Would it not be more effective if the assistance was based on population of unemployed? 

Texans have 8.2% unemployment and the State of Texas is home to twenty five million Americans.  That percentage represents nearly two million who are jobless in that state who were left out of the last extension of weeks from Congress.  Why are John Cornyn and Kay Huthison not doing more to advocate for their state they are supposed to be representing?  The population of jobless in Texas exceeds the number of jobless in New York.  What's the deal with all of the "No" votes?  Are Texans really this receptive to voting against their interests because their Senator said it was best?  It's true the country is broke but if we can find the money for Houston to get the United States to planet Mars, surely the money exists to aid the jobless in America.

One would think that the two Texas Senators would give their reason for voting "No" based on the lack of available assistance for the jobless in their states and not just criticize the national debt that both parties helped create.  It would make more sense politically to grandstand on the issue that not enough is being done for the unemployed more so than criticizing this necessary emergency spending. 

Republicans are banking on the short term memory of Americans and many not knowing the full story about how the national debt got so high.  There are plenty of accurate publications that illustrate how both parties helped to get the nation in this situation.  There's a reason why websites such as factcheck.org have harnessed the audiences of so many and that's the simple fact that anyone can present information as a fact and if there are no news stories to counter that so-called "fact", then what gets reported as the known information becomes the fact and it can be perceived by the masses as factual without doubt.

In this digital age of modern information, there is a need to filter each and every report using sites such as factcheck.org.  Unless of course the information that you want to hear versus the information that is factual is able to sway your perception and thinking.  After all, there are not many pages of fact that present the information with neat swoosh sounds and classy car salesman televangelist-style "reporters" with a chalkboard.  I think my readers know who I am referencing here. 

No matter what direction the media chooses to go, we (as a country) need to encourage the lodging giants to offer non-stop campaigns to help get tourism going again.  If I had to guess on the issue specific to cities like Las Vegas, it's going to take quite a bit of time for enough persons to be able to gather up enough money for trips to Vegas anytime soon.  When people can barely make their rent or mortgage payments, taking off and spending thousands (or even hundreds) on a trip to Vegas is the absolute last thing anyone in this painful and slowly regrowing economy can reasonably afford.

Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign represent the State of Nevada.  Their contact information is posted for the public at:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NV

If you are in the State of Nevada and would like to share resources specific for your state with others who are unemployed in your state, check out:  http://unemployed-friends.forumotion.com/nevada-f31/.  Staying connected to forums such as this will allow instant and vital information to be shared quickly by persons in your state who can help you with important information you may have.

More states are scheduled to be covered throughout the remainder of the month.  The goal of the "Jobless in America" series of articles is to cover all states and expose the number of people who are affected and not just a percentage that may seem high or low at first glance but if population is not considered - the percentages only tell us half of the numbers.

Band-Aid Legislation May Be Needed For Any Unemployment Extension - Republicans Oppose Extending Benefits Through End Of Year...

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is pressing to extend unemployment benefits and health insurance subsidies for the jobless through December as he and Republicans try to clear leftover Senate business.

Reid also hopes to keep helping cash-strapped states with their Medicaid budgets, he said Tuesday on the Senate floor. Taken together, these proposals would cost in the range of $100 billion.

The Nevada Democrat is in talks with GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky over what to include in catchall legislation to help the long-term unemployed, extend several expired tax breaks and prevent doctors from suffering a big cut in their Medicare reimbursements.

The measure would cost more than the jobs bill the Senate is scheduled to approve on Wednesday. It mostly clears up business left unfinished because of last year's health care debate.

There is nothing new in the emerging measure to spur job growth. Instead, it would extend provisions that senators in both parties say have generally been helpful to the economy.

Facing a Feb. 28 deadline, Reid hopes to pass two measures, one as soon as possible. The first includes a 30-day extension of several of soon-to-expire provisions such as jobless aid, parts of the Patriot Act and prevention of cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.

Reid and McConnell were discussing the parameters of the second – a broader, longer-term measure – in a private conversation on the Senate floor. A top Reid aide could be overheard suggesting a full-year extension of unemployment insurance and a 65 percent health insurance subsidy for the unemployed through the federal COBRA program.

There is no agreement on how to proceed on the broader measure, said Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., who said Republicans are concerned about the high cost of the aid to the unemployed. An earlier bipartisan proposal would have extended the aid through May 31 instead of through the end of the year as proposed by Reid.

Kyl added that the proposal to give more Medicaid help to the states took Republicans by surprise. The nation's governors are lobbying strongly for the help.

The most costly piece of the measure would continue to provide additional weeks of benefits to jobless people whose unemployment insurance would otherwise expire. They have been extended several times by Congress since June 2008. The core benefit is 26 weeks, with up to 20 additional weeks in states with high unemployment.

The Reid aide also proposed extending for another six months a provision of last year's economic stimulus bill in which the federal government pays a higher share of costs for the state-federal Medicaid health care program for the poor and unemployed. The Medicaid help mirrors an Obama administration proposal to give states about $25 billion to help with their Medicaid budgets.

Reid dropped the help for the unemployed from the jobs bill. Republicans were unhappy Reid had also discarded an extension of more than 40 expired tax breaks they wanted in the bill. A trimmed-down version of the jobs bill advanced on a bipartisan 62-30 vote Monday to end a GOP filibuster.

Source Story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/23/reid-seeks-to-extend-unem_n_473436.html

Job Bill Clears Hurdle in U.S. Senate With Republican Support

A $15 billion jobs bill cleared a procedural hurdle in the U.S. Senate yesterday after a handful of Republicans, including Scott Brown of Massachusetts, broke with their party leaders to help advance the Democratic measure.

The vote that allows the measure to proceed was 62-30, with 60 needed to overcome Republican stalling tactics. Most Republicans opposed the bill after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scaled back an $85 billion jobs-related measure that had been crafted in committee by a group of Democrats and Republicans.

Reid said the Senate will take a final vote on the stripped-down bill “in a day or so.”

Brown, in just his third vote since being seated earlier this month, said that while the bill was “not perfect” he “came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside and to do everything in my power to create jobs for Massachusetts families.”

Also siding with Democrats were Republican Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Christopher Bond of Missouri and George Voinovich of Ohio. Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska was the sole Democrat to vote against advancing the bill.

Democrats, who lost their 60-vote supermajority with Brown’s surprise win in a special election last month, needed support from at least two Republicans in yesterday’s vote because New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg is being treated for stomach cancer.

Obama ‘Grateful’

President Barack Obama issued a statement saying he was “grateful to the Democratic and Republican senators who voted to support” the bill’s provisions.

“The American people want to see Washington put aside partisan differences and make progress on jobs” and with yesterday’s vote “the Senate took one important step forward in doing that,” Obama said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said lawmakers there may pass the Senate plan without any changes.

The measure’s centerpiece is a $13 billion plan to fight joblessness by offering companies a one-year holiday from paying a 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax for each worker they hire who has been jobless for at least 60 days. The plan would save or create as many as 234,000 jobs, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The plan would spend $2 billion to aid state governments by expanding subsidies for bonds used to finance construction projects, give small businesses more power to write off expenses and transfer $19.5 billion in tax revenue into the government’s highway trust fund.

Republican Demand

Republican leaders had demanded a chance to restore provisions Reid dropped earlier this month, including a package of business-related tax cuts. Reid’s decision amounted to a bet that at least a few Republicans wouldn’t vote against his stripped-down bill in an election year when the economy is at the top of the list of voters’ concerns.

The provisions eliminated by Reid included an extension in unemployment benefits, a package of individual and business tax cuts worth $31 billion, and provisions preventing looming cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors. Reid said lawmakers would take up those items later.

The House approved a jobs bill in December costing more than $150 billion. It would spend $53 billion to extend unemployment benefits, $24 billion to help states to pay their Medicaid bills, $48 billion for infrastructure and $26 billion to shore up funding for public service jobs.

Source Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-23/job-bill-clears-hurdle-in-u-s-senate-with-republican-support.html

Congress Leaving Unemployment Benefits Extension To The Last Minute

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is paring back a jobs bill proposal unveiled earlier on Thursday by the Senate Finance Committee, dropping an extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA health insurance subsidies for laid-off workers. The Senate is taking a break next week, so that stuff will have to wait until the end of the month -- the last moment before the previous extension runs out.

"State agencies are going to start sending out letters next week letting people know that their benefits are going to expire," said Judy Conti, a lobbyist for the National Employment Law Project.

So, even though it's entirely likely that Congress will pass an extension before Feb. 28 -- barring another major blizzard -- people will nevertheless receive letters telling them they're not eligible for the next "tier" of benefits.

Last year's stimulus bill provided up to 53 additional weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits (broken into several tiers) and a 65 percent subsidy of COBRA health insurance. When those provisions expired at the end of December, Congress scrambled to extend them another three months. If they're allowed to expire at the end of the month, 1.2 million people will exhaust their unemployment benefits in March.

"I think it's disturbing because there are four tiers of emergency unemployment compensation benefits, and if you're on a given tier, you only have a few weeks if the program isn't extended... Individuals could look at running out of benefits in a week or several weeks," said Rich Hobbie, director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

Aside from the anxiety the situation creates for the unemployed, Hobbie said it's a huge administrative burden for state agencies. Norm Isotalo, spokesman for the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, said Congress's dithering does indeed make work for his office.

"February 28 is rapidly approaching and we still don't have any certainty if the ending date is going to be extended, so the agency is preparing to wind down the payments of extended federally-funded unemployment benefits," Isolato told HuffPost. "But on the other hand, we have to be ready to pull the plug on these wind-down efforts if Congress acts. It could be a lot of wind-down work that all may go for naught if Congress extends the deadline date for these programs. And of course we hope that they do."

Isotalo said that even if Congress interrupts his agency's wind-down work at the last second, unemployed Michiganders would not see an interruption of their unemployment checks.

NELP is frustrated that Congress insists on taking a piecemeal approach to extending the benefits (the extensions do not allow people to stay on unemployment insurance for longer than already provided by the stimulus bill -- they allow people who've been laid off more recently access to the same additional tiers of financial support given to people laid off last year). The piecemeal approach guarantees that every extension will happen at the last second.

"It will always be held victim to a blizzard, to partisan politics, a flood in the spring, elections in the fall," said Judy Conti of NELP, which would rather Congress extend benefits for a full year. "What's going on in Congress is an ever-changing game. The American people and communities surviving on these unemployment benefits can't be held victim to this process."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/11/congress-leaving-unemploy_n_458991.html