Now everyone is a budget hawk. The American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 just went down in the Senate by a 45-52 vote, with Democratic Sens. Bayh, Begich, Feingold, Kohl, Landrieu, Lieberman, McCaskill, Menendez, both Nelsons, Pryor, and Webb voting ‘no.’ Blanche Lincoln didn’t vote.
The “tax extenders” bill would reauthorize extended unemployment benefits put in place by the stimulus bill to fight the recession. In some states, laid-off workers were eligible for 99 weeks of benefits — that is until Congress allowed the programs to lapse on June 1. Among other provisions, including family and business tax breaks, the bill would also stave off a 21 percent payment reduction for doctors who see Medicare patients and it would restore elevated federal funding for state Medicaid programs.
By the end of this week, 903,000 long-term unemployed who otherwise would have received benefits will have missed checks. By the end of next week that number will reach 1.2 million.
Both chambers of Congress already approved measures to extend these programs at least through the rest of the year, but the House and Senate used different sources of funding. When it came time to reconcile the bills, conservative House Democrats lost their appetite for adding to the deficit to help the economy. The same thing is now happening in the Senate.
This is sure to increase consumer demand and lead to economic growth. It will do wonders for the foreclosure crisis.
Democrats scrapped a post-vote press conference moments before it was scheduled to start.
Has Dick Durbin forgotten how to count votes? Back to the drawing board.
Feingold’s always been one, but he’s a true budget hawk. Still, I wish he could forget it for one second and realize we have a damned crisis here…
Let’s see, he voted with most nimby Senate Democrats to deny the President funding to close Gitmo; he worked behind the scenes to kill Medicaid for All; and now this, but he’s “progressive” right? He doesn’t compromise, right? He has no political self-interest, right? How low does a white “progressive” have to go to get even a fraction of the same disrespect and vitriol that’s hurled at the President daily from the white “progressive” bloghesphere?
His reasons for voting against the President’s agenda are almost always different than others’ reasons, especially something like Guantanamo.
You seriously think that the lone soul who voted against the Patriot Act doesn’t want Guantanamo closed?
He worked behind the scenes to kill Medicaid for All? Possibly because his state couldn’t afford it; I didn’t even know there was any movement for Medicaid for all lmao. Feingold supports single payer.
I believe in compromise, as does Feingold; he voted for a bill he didn’t like, after all.
Lets see .. the bill wasn’t going to pass before the vote was taken(see Chris Bowers on that) .. so this was a freebie for Feingold .. unlike asshats like Bad Nelson
But how could it possibly be a plus for him? I can’t believe he’s gonna get WI votes for dumping people off unemployment and threatening Medicare/Medicaid. I’m a long-term admirer, but sometimes I think he’s a little tetched.
hey, toughen up. You can’t advance your agenda by weakening the coalition in power through constant bitching, demotivating language, fatalism, pessimism, and wishful thinking.
It’s almost like you can’t comprehend anything I write.
is it wrong, now, to twist what someone said and make it look ridiculous?
i didn’t realize that.
It’s going to get very interesting very quickly. Rep. David Obey is not going to act on the war funding until this and education backfilling of state funds is resolved. You might see this bill become part of the war funding package.
I’m predicting a double-dip recession because of this nonsense.
with Democratic Sens. Bayh, Begich, Feingold, Kohl, Landrieu, Lieberman, McCaskill, Menendez, both Nelsons, Pryor, and Webb voting ‘no.’ Blanche Lincoln didn’t vote.
So Menendez only wants to chair the DSCC for this fall? What are McCaskill and Kohl doing? I’m sorry Boo, but doesn’t Obama(or someone) tell these asshats that doing shit like this will definitely lead to Republicans regaining the Senate? Do they think they are off the hook now that Harry Reid is safe after all? I don’t get it at all.