The cloture vote in the Senate on extending unemployment benefits for an additional 14 weeks in all states, and 20 weeks in states with more than 8.5% unemployment, set for last Friday didn’t happen. The vote is rescheduled for Tuesday afternoon, depending on whether or not Senators can agree on proposed amendments on extending and expanding the homebuyer tax credit in the stimulus package, and extending business loss tax carry back provisions an additional two or three years.
Present leadership plans are to pass whatever final package is approved in the Senate, and send it to the House without any conference committee, for action later this week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus are proposing a one year extension of the homebuyer tax credit, to begin phasing down from the $8,000 in the stimulus package in April, 2010. Real estate and housing construction interests oppose this version of the measure, citing April through June as the best home sales months of the year. Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia proposes a seven month extension of the full $8,000 credit to carry through the summer selling season.
National Association of Realtors President Charles McMillan says the summer months are needed to bring down housing inventories to a normal six month level. “We can achieve a consistent six month supply if the $8,000 tax credit is extended without phase outs through mid 2010. Consumers, particularly first time buyers, need certainty about the amount of the credit so that they can plan their transaction without any worry that a timing problem would penalize them,” he said in a letter to Majority Leader Reid.
The Reid/Baucus proposed amendments also include extending the tax loss carry back from two to four years, but using it only in 2008 or 2009 tax years, with a 20% reduction in the credit. Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky wants a five year carry back, for both 2008 and 2009 losses, with no reduction, but that would involve a costly $16.3 billion revenue loss. The proposed offset to the cost of extending the tax loss carry back is a $17.1 billion revenue raiser involving a requirement that corporations report transactions with each other on 1099 forms to the government.
Finally, funding of the unemployment benefit extension is also controversial. Reid and Baucus want to extend the federal unemployment payroll tax to cover the $2.4 billion cost, while business groups and Republicans oppose extending the payroll tax, and seek instead to fund the extended benefits from unspent stimulus cash.
Comments
I don't give a flying #$%# WHAT it takes to get it passed Tuesday - just DO IT!!
Pass it on Tuesday, or another 7,000 American families suffer, everyday this delay continues. Keep up the stall tactics, Repukes and watch how many of you are unemployed next election!You should be ashamed of yourselves for screwing Americans over this way. You Repukes caused this mess, finally do something right to help fix it.
I agree, what the hell does first time house buyers tax credits have to do with unemployent.
I dont want to buy a house I would like to EAT.....
dont they know its election time, we can take away what power we gave you, BE CAREFULL.....
I can not beleive that it takes this long to approve the unemployment extension. it take that long to help all the BIG companies that were in big trouble and still are after the bail out. We need to eat and keep a roof over or heads
i really do think it should have been passed. im like this they can keep on messin around if they want 2 an n a min it wont b nobody working 2 pay no taxes then what they going do. they keep bailing out the big companies damn bail me out. U got people out looking 4 jobs knowing damn well they not going get it then u wonder why the people stop looking.
IF YOU TYRANTS CAN WASTE NO TIME GIVING OUR TAX DOLLARS FOR FOREIGN COUNTRIES,WARS AND BAILOUT MONEY TO THESE LARGE CORPORATIONS, WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING YOU SO F^&**N LONG TO GIVE MONEY TO THOSE WHO REALLY NEED IT. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ALL CAN LOOK YOURSELVES IN THE MIRROR KNOWING YOU ARE SCREWING THE PEOPLE WHO PUT YOUR ASSES IN OFFICE. IT IS FUNNY HOW THEY DON'T THINK TWICE ABOUT SPENDING BILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS ON RIDICULOUS STUFF THAT THEY FEEL IS GOING TO BE PROFITABLE FOR THEM BUT THEY WANT TO BE SO CAUTIOUS ON TAX PAYERS MONEY WHEN IT COME TO THE NEEDEY SHAME ON ALL OF YOU
The republicans only care about tax decreases for the rich and don't care about unemployment extensions for the average middle class person. They are the party of "NO" and only like spending money for their satisfaction - Examples: (1)Samford and the Argentina Fire Cracker (2)Ensign and his assistant's wife and (3) Vitter and his pleasure dome.
we have been waiting and waiting and waiting.. my unemployment ran out almost two months ago.. hurry up and get this signed,, its still going to take another three or four weeks once they sign befor i see a penny i cant take it no more.. what happend to " we the people" .. we the people really need this asap... do something obama stop playing your golf and your basket ball games.. you are the president for "we the people" get on it and do something.. were not so worried about this helthcare bill at the moment.. we need our unemployment extended...
We the people of the United States of American have the right to vote and we will. Belive it or not we WILL no the right thing. GOOD BYE you should have voted weeks ago.
Pass this bill and stop f&^%^^% around.
glenn beck for president... whos with me
listen people it has nothing to do with democrats or republicans they sit in there offoices laughing there asses off at us,and then when something negative happens they blame the other.and we the sheople keep falling for it.our president is controlled by powerful people that dont give a dam about us,they just want our property called the usa to play with.and rent to other countrys so they can drill for oil,for they can make profits off of our land.think about it people.dont be stupid.
Good article Mr. McConnell.
Listen Senators!!! Stop the B.S. Nobody honestly gives two flying you know what about a first time buying of a house...nobody cares!!! nobody is interested in a freaking house! we are interested in keeping the little that we can and making sure we at least have cereal and water with a roof over our heads. This Gov't sucks donkey d#@% and needs to wake up and smell the shyt on our neck of the woods. we are falling apart and if action is not taken soon, I do believe their will be people who will lose it and go ballistic. Holidays don't exist in my home since 2007, this holiday will be the worse, we'll be eating tuna sandwiches for Thankstaking and you(Gov't) will be eating caviar and Turducken. I will def. know who to vote for next elections...
Please reach out the Senators responsible for this appalling and shameful delay!
I have sent the following emails to both Senator Kyl and Hatch. I pray it will awaken their, apparently, sleeping conscience and also act as a reminder of the required OBLIGATIONS of their christian faith:
Dear Senator Kyle:
American Children are literally starving while you idle the days away. Senator Kyle, GOD takes a very dim view of those who oppose and torment the poor, the downtrodden and especially the innocents. I am astounded and appalled by your utter contempt for the regular, industrious, courageous citizens of the great U.S.of A. Senator Kyle, you have shown and are showing your utter contempt for those who are the backbone of this country and are struggling so terribly right now! You need to "man up" and do the right thing and allow the unemployment extension to go through NOW! Please be aware Heaven watches you and recoils at your callous actions.
If you can please watch CSPAN and take note of the senators who are playing with our lives to get points with the wealthier Americans. Helping people with money to buy a house is not an emergency and should not be included in this bill. This is for people who can’t pay current mortgages and rent or buy food and gas etc. The senate is using our desperation to gain brownie points with this 8000 tax credit. It’s horrible and I hope everyone sees this. I plan on contacting family members and friends in the states of the opposing senators represent to make sure that this response to our emergency is not forgotten during election time.
I am in the military and unaffected by this passage however, I volunteer at a local elementary school, and see kids coming to school with bread sandwiches, nothing more than mayo. mustard and bread. It is starting to get cold, and some children do not even have coats. They attribute this to thier parents not being able to work. Very sad. I am on the outside looking in and I definitely see the wrong here. I own a home in AZ and have called Senator Kyl's office twice. I voted for him and on the second phone call, when the girl told me he is looking out for his constituents, I said- "Well lady - Who the HELL do you think I am?" I will not vote for him again. My prayers are with you all. Makes me want to run for Senate when I retire and make some real changes... But can they ever really be made?
this is horse S%$& bull they need to pass this mann i need the little bit of extra money i get with this people say oh take any job at mcdonalds well to who that says that how will that pay for daycare also i make a whopping $16,000 per on uc benifits i made $39,000 per so u do the math also this sucks A_S_S people need to feed their kids
Why are they mixing in the house purchasing tax with the unemployment extension? One has nothing to do with the other. Just crooked as heck, in my opinion.
In regards to the current unemployment fiasco .... Obama needs to just tell those republicans that continue to hold up the works "Look here, now I'm HNIC here! You do it my way, or you get the highway." To the republicans ... get off of your assess and just sign the damn bill. Quit it with that "well it ain't none of me attitude" because WE THE PEOPLE can make it so that you are on the other side of the window ... you will BE on THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN!!! Remember Election???
When the unemployment extension is passed???????? It should be retoactive to the people that have waited for it to pass-- that have gone without , while waiting. What do you think?
I think it is a shame how they have us american citizens going through this. The bill should have been passed weeks ago I have know money are food my rent is due and it makes you feel like giving up but I'm going to leave it with god
Facebook event created titled "Unemployed benefit extension virtual march on Washington"
(They won't let me ppst the url here, thanks guys).
Holding up this unemployment extension bill is tantamount to taking a gun and shooting 7,000 American families DAILY who have lost this lifeline. More than 500,000 have had benefits expire. More than 2 million people, and by extension their families, will lose this lifeline by Christmas.
Yet the Senate continues to stall on this lifeline help. Republicans twice have blocked consideration on bogus grounds. Now they have loaded on EIGHT amendments -- some highly controversial -- having nothing to do with the benefits. They also object to continuing a $14 per employee per year tax for businesses already funded through 2011 to fund the benefits.
However, the Democrats won't formally bring the extension to a vote because they say the Republicans will filibuster.
Huh?
Call out these GOP leaders who specifically are delaying this and causing us such unnecessary suffering.
Mitch McConnell, Ky., the GOP leader at (202) 224-2541.
Jon Kyl, Ariz., GOP whip, and lobbyist lackey. Try calling his office and they don't even answer. His voice mail is (202) 224-4521. He has been using procedural fine print to stop votes twice since last week. You may recall him as the guy during health care debates last month questioned why people needed maternity coverage since he didn't.
Johnny Isakson, Ga. Repub and real estate lobbyist turned senator. This piece of work has attached all sorts of amendments that have nothing to do with nothing -- house tax credits for a program that had 100,000 bogus claims and is a real estate scam -- immigration and six other garbage amendments to delay the unemployment benefit vote. (202) 224-3643,
And of course Oral Hatch, Ut., well known hater of everybody not giving him money. (202) 224-5251.
Did someone say Obama should say I am the Head Ni^^&r in charge. FOR REAL. This is way to much for me to comprehend. Ye I believe PRESIDENT OBAMA should address this issue but as the President not the head of A STREET GANG. And you wonder why the Senate is laughing at our distress.
When the bill is passed no one should have to wait we can't we have bills that's due and we waited long enough tuesday pass it and let us get what is due
I say enough of this f'ing bullshit! This is literally killing people's hope that they
will be able to pay their rent/motgage (that is if they can still afford to) let alone provide for their families at all. I am truly disgusted by the politicians who are stonewalling this crucial issue! I think they should be drawn and quartered!
I went to a church today to ask for food to feed my son. The church was out of food. I never thought I'd see this day or I wouldn't have had a child just to see him starve. God help us all. I can't cry anymore.
I think the Republicans have been stalling on this in order to see how the exhaustion of benefits affects the economy. Think about it. The stalling began at the exact time that a huge majority receiving unemployment 400,000 had all exhasted their benefits in the month of September. I think they are waiting on the numbers to see if the claim that these benefits stimulate the economy are indeed true. I think they are going to see that they have only caused more layoffs and more people joining the unemployemt rolls. By not extending benefits they have virtually, laid off a 2nd time ,all the people who were affected first and hardest by the recession. So lay them off again and watch the little progess made to jump start the economy shrink before their very eyes.
Unemployed march, where is the facebook page for the unemployed, I cant find it! A fellow unemployed friend of mine have been saying that we need to do a REAL march on washington because this is absolutely appalling and Im disguted by these heartless senators.
The two main Republicans holding up the unemployment extension bill H.R.3548 are Jon Kyle from Arizona (202) 224-4521 and Orrin Hatch from Utah (202) 224-5251.
Everyone give them a wakeup call for the unemployed who are now without benefits, and each week more join the list. Six million unemployed = Depression! Nationally, employers have dumped over 260,000 jobs, meaning that these are jobs that no longer exist.
The Senate Republicans are out of touch, delusional and not serving the people. Truly failure of government at a time of its citizens' highest need.
Just vote every republican and Democrat incumbant out. that's the only thing these people listen to. Republicans can't be completely at fault since we are only talking a couple of billion dollars and if they wanted to act, they can. For me, I'll vote every incumbant out this election.
They are focused on healthcare. It is going to solve the world's problems so there is nothing else to work on. They have no employment program for the US. The program is lose jobs to China by signing unfair free trade agreements with the Communist, our bosses.
It is important that we all put pressure on the Senators now! Tomorrow 10/27/09 is the vote. Everyone please contact Senators(especially Mitch McConnell (Ky), Jon Kyl (Az), Harry Reid (Nv) and John Isakson (Ga.)) and demand they pass this bill ASAP!!
hard to understand all the gop senators that want to end up unemployed like me. we all know what to do at the ballot box.
I agree about Sen Kyle being a heartless lowlife like most other republicans but if the democrats wanted this passed it would have passed. THEY HAVE SUPER-MAJORITY!
That means all they have to do is bring something up for a vote and they wouldn't need 1 republican vote to get anything passed.
It's all about prolonging this so as many people possible find out about it so the Dems don't look like the bad guys when they force the health care stuff through.
The Dems are basically using the unemployed as a puppet show.
Sadly this will never change unless we vote in an independent, which won't be happening anytime soon.
Its almost as if our government has forgotten about its people. They are so concerned with bailing out banks and insurance companies and leaving its citizens to die in the streets. Why are we paying taxes when this is the response to all of us in need...
As usual Wall Street gets huge bonuses and the American people get to wait for crumbs. Thanks Washington!!! People can starve but not you or your rich friends!!! Wait for election day RNC!!!
Congress could care how many blogs,comments, emails, or phone call they get. WE NEED TO UNITE AND PROTEST, Have we becomeso lazy we won't fight for what we belive in. I posted on Craigs List for Protestors Needed, not many responses so lets just keep complaining as our electricity gets shut off, our car ,rent, mortgage doesn't get paid. BE PRO ACTIVE .PROTEST ,THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. Cathy
I'm sorry, but what the FRICK does the home buyer tax credit have to do with extending unemployment????
Seriously... The President, Senate, House need to get off their collective asses and get the unemployment extension passed immediately.
I don't know how Washington can be so out-of-touch, but I suppose it's because you elite folks do not understand what it is like to have a 0 balance and (3) kids and a home and no job... Wake up!!!!!
I think enough of the good people of the USA who know they are not the privileged few are sick and tired and angry about our toils that have made so few (arrogant) and rich... The politicians, bankers, and business men of the world are not better; just shrewd, manipulative, heartless, and greedy. We are tired of putting our money into taxes and all the "black hole" funnels. This has been our $ that benefit some greedy, manipulative "pull-the-wool-over-our-eyes" scheming that has been US politics (benefiting war machines, banking, big Pharmaceutical, Wall Street, etc) for God knows how long now... A few of us realize the propaganda and total bs of
I'm from Nevada and my unemployment benefits are finished, I've tried hundreds if no thousands of jobs and no calls. I'm 62 yrs. with more than 30 yrs. of experience, also with medical conditions (******no insurance and no income**********Please,Senators do not play with our lives....It's a shame.
What do you want from a bunch of stinkin commie jerk offs
A few of us realize the propaganda and total bs of it all… The machine which they chose to be a part of has long since ceased to benefit the good citizens of this once great nation…
"Don’t Tread on Me"... You all should tread lightly and stop helping lobbyists who don't represent the people, but their own pockets... Before we vote you all out (if we are that nice about it) do one last gesture and get the money we rightfully deserve to us at this unfortunate time.
I've read 2.4 bill total for this particular extension of benefits... Hum... The banks got 700 bill and the CEO of Chase "doesn't owe an explanation" as he and his own doll out bonuses (from our tax dollars) for a losing business based on bad product and ill management! F--- this!
And while you are at it, make it another year of benefits as we know joblessness might only level off by then... If we are lucky and haven't given our standard of living away (which they have)...
I will remain additionally co
Remember this day and keep fighting these pricks. Even after they pass this bill it will only get worse. Shhhhhhh is that the sound of revolution? Good luck my friends.
You are all correct. But there is something we can do, and if enough of us do it, it's big, really big.
One week from tomorrow is Election Day. If you are reading this, then you have access to the Internet. Do a little homework to see how your representatives voted in Washington, DC (see which ones are up for election), and if they didn't do the job "YOU" wanted, then vote for the other candidate. Also, do this with city and state candidates. (They have been getting a free ride with the focus on our representatives in DC - the party is over for all!)
I don't care if you are a right wing, a left wing, or a chicken wing. Just do a bit of homework, and get to the election in your city next week. If you can't get by yourself, call a friend, or the local Y, or anyone, to come and get you. It's really the last power we have - our vote. And little by little, vote by vote, and election after election, just vote for the candidate to did what you wanted.
Do it now!
The amendments not mentioned above in extending unemployment benefits, is severing funding to ACORN and approving E-Verify on a permanent basis, to eject illegal immigrants from the workplace.
THIS IS THE MAJOR REASON WE NEED A PERMANENT E-VERIFY, FOR EVERY PERSON WHO IS EMPLOYED? NOT JUST FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD?
Then we have Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, a Democrat from Chicago, has been on the road most weekends since last December trying to beckon people towards forging a favorable immigration reform package. However, it seems --IF--the bill ever becoming a reality while millions of Americans are without work or given up hoping to find a job, the financial impact will be overpowering--as well as insane. VIEW THE LIST OF LAWMAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED ON TO COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM AT tinyurl.com/CIR-letter-to-POTUS. THESE CONGRESSMAN/ WOMEN WANT TO STEAL YOUR JOB AND GIVE IT TO ILLEGAL ALIENS? KEEP THEM EMBOSSED IN YOUR MEMORY AND UNSEAT THEM
If the politicians don't pass the benefits extension tomorrow, I'm voting them ALL out! Screw the fatcats, the hypocrites, and the like. I'm worn out, working my ass off, and having to rely on this corrupt bunch in D.C. to survive. My forefathers would be ashamed of what this country has become.....and where our "leaders" are sending us. Wake up, America!!!!!
We need to meet in mass in Washington to demonstrate against the fat cat senators that do not give a dam about the middle class, democrats and republicans. If they see thousands of angry americans in there back yard, possibly they may wake up, at long last and be concerned about the loyal American workers that are unable to find jobs today. Most having worked for dozens of years untill the idiot washington jerks sent our jobs out of the country. Thanks and lets hope you get kicked out of office soon, unless you do the right thing on October 27, 2009
Tony,
99% of people on unemployment dont have the money to travel to Washington dc to protest, some dont have money to eat much or pay for heat..if the unemployed did show up in mass many might question how bad things are for them if they have money to travel to DC.
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