Snowe Urges Stand-Alone Extension of Jobless Benefits in a Letter to Reid TODAY (emergency, labor)

[Rlukas79]

as much as people cant stand Pelosi, she does get the job done. The senate on the other hand is 100 individuals

[diorgirl]

Originally Posted by diorgirl

I think it is short-sighted to be so focused on the Senate now.

In the past, each time a longer term extension was held up in Congress, it was a member of the House that came to the rescue with a short-term extension bill that was passed quickly by both chambers and signed into law by the President.

With only 100 members, the Senate is too ego-driven; look to the House to figure out a way to get at least a short-term extension on track.

The HuffingtonPost.com has reported tonight that Democratic officials said the House may try to revive the long-stalled jobless aid bill [HR 4213] next week as a stand-alone bill shorn of controversial tax and spending provisions that prompted Senate Republicans to filibuster it on Thursday.

House Democrats Mulling Standalone Jobs Bill After Senate Failure

[diorgirl]

Originally Posted by Katie35

Because now Pelosi is saying this has to get done and she may introduce stand alone legislation. But Reid appears to be saying here, that he just won't have time for this next week.

Reid has maintained this stance in similar situations in the past. He just keeps his head down and moves other pieces of legislation through the Senate.

Meanwhile, Sandy Levin, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, will do all the grunt work getting agreement among the House members on this stand-alone -- and coordinating with key Senators for their subsequent support.

When the House has something passed and poised for acceptance in the Senate, Reid will pop it on the Senate agenda and move it through.

[diorgirl]

Originally Posted by Katie35

So right now, the person to hammer is Reid.

With all due respect, the people to "hammer" at this time are our respective Representatives. Members of the House are much more in sync and much more responsive to their own constituents. Hearing from their own districts means alot. We need our Representatives to take action first.

Once a stand-alone bill is passed by the House -- that's the time to get on our respective Senators (again, they are more responsive to the people who can actually vote for them) and Reid.

Just my perspective...

[PacificFlights]

If it was introduced as a standalone bill, bet the Republicans would have attached some business incentive thing to it; and had the Democrates fillerbusted it over that, the Republicans would be saying the Democrates were against the unemployed. But since the Republicans are doing the fillerbusting, they are saying the Democrates are against the unemployed because they had something attached. Even if the Bill was a standalone with NO anything attached, the Republicans would have voted against it if that was the party position. Heck the Democrates could have had the unemployment extension along with a requirment that only Republicans could vote in the next election and the Republicans still would have voted against it because that's what they were told to do, vote ainst everything by the Democrates and for anything by the Republicans.

[diorgirl]

Originally Posted by PacificFlights

If it was introduced as a standalone bill, bet the Republicans would have attached some business incentive thing to it; and had the Democrates fillerbusted it over that, the Republicans would be saying the Democrates were against the unemployed. But since the Republicans are doing the fillerbusting, they are saying the Democrates are against the unemployed because they had something attached. Even if the Bill was a standalone with NO anything attached, the Republicans would have voted against it if that was the party position. Heck the Democrates could have had the unemployment extension along with a requirment that only Republicans could vote in the next election and the Republicans still would have voted against it because that's what they were told to do, vote ainst everything by the Democrates and for anything by the Republicans.

Historically, that has not been true. To date, all successful short-term stand-alone extensions for federal unemployment benefits were introduced in the House by Democrats; all subsequently passed both chambers; and all were signed into law.

[pawleyslady]

Originally Posted by diorgirl

With all due respect, the people to "hammer" at this time are our respective Representatives. Members of the House are much more in sync and much more responsive to their own constituents. Hearing from their own districts means alot. We need our Representatives to take action first.

Once a stand-alone bill is passed by the House -- that's the time to get on our respective Senators (again, they are more responsive to the people who can actually vote for them) and Reid.

Just my perspective...

I understand your thinking, however, I'm in Wisconsin and my rep (Paul Ryan) is a total right wing stooge. My senators are both on board and I'm going to keep emailing them along with Reid and others. Ryan is a total waste of time.

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by diorgirl

With all due respect, the people to "hammer" at this time are our respective Representatives. Members of the House are much more in sync and much more responsive to their own constituents. Hearing from their own districts means alot. We need our Representatives to take action first.

Once a stand-alone bill is passed by the House -- that's the time to get on our respective Senators (again, they are more responsive to the people who can actually vote for them) and Reid.

Just my perspective...

And a very intelligent one.

Originally Posted by diorgirl

Historically, that has not been true. To date, all successful short-term stand-alone extensions for federal unemployment benefits were introduced in the House by Democrats; all subsequently passed both chambers; and all were signed into law.

I think a lot on that will depend on what Snowe, Collins, Brown and Nelson do with a standalone bill. Unlike the past, I think the rest of the Republicans will debate unused stimulus vs. emergency spending.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Rlukas79

as much as people cant stand Pelosi, she does get the job done. The senate on the other hand is 100 individuals

Sure, like the 5 million new jobs they promised. She's good at hiking up the national debt and keeping the recession going is all I can see she's doing.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by tulips4you2

They need to do something, they can't leave some 1.2 million unemployed Americans with nothing!

Remember the promise of 5 million new jobs?