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Digital News Report – The unemployment benefits extension may be coming to an end as some Democrats lose their desire to fight to keep the aid going. Republicans have tried to block past extensions but some Democrats believe there is insufficient support to extend them again.
The last vote to extend benefits was held-up when Republicans demanded the extension be offset by spending cuts. An extension to the benefits is unlikely to hit the Senate floor next time.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus says that 99 weeks is sufficient. “You can’t go on forever”, the Montana Democrat said.
“There’s just been no discussion to go beyond that,” said Senator Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat.
The unemployment extension was first proposed by Congressman Jim McDermott in the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 (H.R. 3548). His bill, which would have extended benefits by 13 weeks, was later combined with other amendments and passed as the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009.
That was back in September. The bill gave an extra 20 weeks of unemployment benefits to workers in states with unemployment rates over 8.5 percent. It also gave an extra 14 weeks to the 24 states with lower unemployment.
In November the House and Senate finally agreed on the amendments and the sent bill to President Obama. Since December Congress has extended the benefits three times.
Tier 1 – 20 weeks
Tier 2 – 14 weeks
Tier 3 – 13 additional weeks of benefits in states where the total unemployment rate 6% or higher.
Tier 4 5 and 6 added additional weeks of benefits in states where the total unemployment rate is 8.5% or higher.
By: Tim Edwards
bull. they dont say that when its foreign aid or some other charitys were always offering these are americans you heartless weenies, what a wonderful time you cowards pick to play budget politics,i will not forget you lazy democrats and coward republicans. i will survive and be stronger.Bugsy 916 sactown
“Lose their desire to fight?”. They haven’t even presented a tier 5 bill to start the fight. They’re giving up before they even get in the ring on this one. Many Republicans have voted in favor of each extension of additional weeks of benefits. And the last two “fights” were over extended eligibility, not additional weeks. The Republicans wanted Democrats to adhere to theIr own new law of Pay As You Go. Dems didn’t want to. They also didn’t want use funds from, say for instance, the Stimulus Bill — over half of which is unspent. That’s billions and billions. A small sliver of it would pay for added weeks of benefits. Republicans will vote for a tier 5 if Democrats fund it rather than add to the deficit.
Notice where these two senators are from (Montana and North Dakota). No one from a
populated state wants to step forward and float a trial balloon like this that will affect millions. Cowards.
Hey Digitalnews, if you don’t have anything positive or encouraging to print about unemployment extension, the don’t print anything at all. We don’t need you bringing anyone down.
Well I guess my family and I should give up the desire to eat? Or the desire to keep a roof over our heads? Amazing!
My question is do we still have 4 tiers left or is that gone too. So some people get 99 weeks others get 26 am I reading this right
Its troubles me that montana went from 7% to trigger on to tier 4 for some 4000 exhaustee,s. Which brings them up to 98wks 92+6. Why was the state able to do this, When others can’t. MD 73wks 7.7% Mr.Bucus has some explaining to do: Whats the fix.
sen baucus is a pig i hope montana blows up while he is in washington and his scum family is destroyed in montana it scumbags like him that need to get a heartattack
I am on unemployment for a long time now and they cut my benifits. Now i am about to lose my apartment, I have no money for food. I will be homeless by the end of the week and will live out of my car. Crime will go up in this country!!!! People are desperate and have no choice but to make ends meat. This economey is not geting better,nor do i see it geting and better in the near future!!!!
Pray for our nations leaders. They need to take another look at the declaration of independance. Sorry if I can’t spell. America was founded on God’s Word. All the answers to life are there. Even in hard times like this, we have to put God first and the rest will fall in to place.
PLEASE HELP… Remove the High Unemployment Period restrictions on Tier IV and add a 5th tier that is not connected to the unemployment rate, or is at least tied to the UNDEREMPLOYMENT rate. You CAN NOT qualify for Tier IV (EB), IF your state is at 8.5% average unemployment or less for 3 months. These rates are adjusted on very subjective data, based on estimated migrant and seasonal farm workers and as people run out of benefits, they are no longer considered unemployed, and FALSELY drop the Unemployment rate. THERE are currently 21 states that have no Tier IV because there UR is less than 8.5% The individual states unemployment rate does not matter if you are one of the people that has never been without a job, never drawn unemployment before, are trying your best looking hard for a job everyday, and are still on the verge of losing your home and being on the street with no income. Everyone please contact your politicians and local news channels until this gets the proper attention. Call and write every day. This last bill is nothing more than a deadline extension with huge restrictions tied to the unemployment rate. Just lip service during an election year.
I still can not understand why, while hundreds of thousands lose benefits each week, the Senate wants to draw a fiscal line in the sand over unemployment benefits! Two unfunded wars, generous bank and corporate bailouts, and unfunded tax breaks are not a problem for Congress, but once you get unemployment funding on the table then all kinds of fiscal responsibility come to bear. In fact, look at the graph that follows and you’ll see that the Bush tax cuts are the biggest deficit busters and they were passed overwhelmingly by the Republicans (and many Democrats) who are complaining about unemployment funding.
I have heard that the politicians, on both sides of the isle, want the UI benefits to lapse. Even though people would still be unemployed, they would fall off of the unemployment roles, thus making the unemployment rate APPEAR to be lower. This allows the states to deny Tier IV or EB benefits. Has anyone else heard this and .does anyone else feel that the politicians are playing political games with our lives!!!!!!!!!
This article is badly written.
The writer is confusing (1.) Unemployment Deadline Extensions with an (2.) Added Tier 5 Benefit.
Where Congress will continue to extend the Benefits Deadline (May 29, 2010), Congress is content w/ 99-weeks of Benefits. Even Baucas is content w/ 99-weeks.
All is not lost. The real fight is extending the May 29, 2010 Deadline. I’ll assume that 99-weeks is the end of the road.
Bad idea. the economy will never make a recovery if we take away money from the unemployed and there is a lot. I voted and had confidence in Obama but where is he what is he doing. Unemployment needs to be extended until we have jobs. Where are the jobs where is our money we want anwsers. TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY.
sure, but they have no problem continue funding billions every month for how many years now, to Iraq and Afghanistan with no end in sight.
No extension for the unemployed, you must be kidding.
Montana unemployment rate 7.1% (Ranked 12th out of 51); North Dakota 4.0% (LOWEST IN THE NATION).
How could these senators tell families in states with double digit unemployment. These are the states from highest to lowest.
Michigan,Nevada,California,Rhode Island,Florida,South Carolina,District of Columbia,Illinois,Mississippi,North Carolina,Alabama,Ohio,Kentucky,Georgia,Tennessee,Oregon,Indiana, and New Jersey.
Until labor market turns around, extensions should be granted.
Many of these people were affected by the economic downturn caused by Wall Street and the Banking Industry.
Many didn’t file a claim ever in their lives.
PASS THE EXTENSION AND MOVE ON. THE NATION IS WAITING…….
we{the 99}need to camp out at the white house.boo the congressional people and vote everyone out. they gave billions for bailout but will not help the unemployed,even though they caused this recessions with tax breaks for companies to send jobs overseas without a care for those that lost their job.the free trade agreement was our downfall. we who lose our homes need to live on the white house lawn. a camp out with the millions that lost or will lose unemployment benefit’s and then see what they will do.
congress help the american people to survive with tier 5 now that we need help.
Please visit http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/293981… and tell your personal unemployment story. I am compiling a piece that will give faces to the unemployed to let them know there are hard working ,honest and true American’s suffering from this recession. Thanks!
Well if they are tired of fighting let’s see how tired they get when it’s time to give them selves a raise, while they are sitting there not fighting for us. They sit and lie about jobless claims falling, yeah they are falling because every week another few hundred thousand people hit their 99 weeks and can’t claim again til tier 5 is passed, it’s not getting better it’s just the next lie to give a false since of security. It’s real funny that they want us to vote for them when their seats in washington are at risk but when it comes time for us to need them, they just turn into spineless cowards and turn their yellow backs. If the GOP is so worried about where and how they will get the money for us, tell them to start with all those COE’s that gave them selves bonuses and then took their privite jets to washington to beg for more money. The GOP approved it last year and have done nothing to get that money back. Is it because they are too busy spending their kick backs from that, well we will never know because backs were turned on that issue too, but at least tell them to get off there butts and tell them to go get our damn money, because why should they be rewarded for running their companies in the ground and get money to do it again and we get nothing, after being promised that we would be taken care of for the rest of the year if needed. Trust me they said if needed because they already knew it would get this bad, now they just turn there backs and we suffer. Hell you belled them out but you turn your backs on us, wow that really makes me want to run out and vote you back in to get your seat next time so you can stab us in the back and make more empty promises. We might as well have a bunch of rocks sitting there, hell they want push the issue either. Hey but the rocks at this point well have more value because at least we can pick them up and bust those retarded and heartless Republicans in the head with them, if nothing else we all would get a smile on our faces as we are getting put out in the streets.
If our government isn’t willing to help us 99ers then I think we should pack up our bags and camp out at their houses since we have lost our place to live. From their mistakes that we have to pay for.
The story by Tim Edwards dated April 29.2010 concerning unemployment insurance extensions contains some misguided information. He has “additional tier 5 benefits” information confused with the proposed extension to apply for the currently available tiers 1 through 4. The proposed extension to apply for current tiers is expected to fly…just not an additional 5th tier. Also, there are no tiers 5 and 6 as stated in the story…only a now federally funded last-resort state extension called EB (Extended Benefits) available to some states that qualify via that state’s unemployment rate.
james lee peterson : How can unemployed afford to pay for the transporation to Washington DC and camp out in the whitehouse when they can’t even afford to pay for their family’s meal from the meager unemployment they receives. The unemployed are not the TEA Beggars who looted the treasury (from the Tax Cut) they receive from Bush for the last 8 yrs. Now that Tea Beggars have lots of money, they can travel first class in airline to DC to protest from raising their taxes.
It’s like the world and everybody in it is just screaming out. Hello! It’s been
going on. It’s been going on for days and months and years and years. It’s been
going on for ages. Does it ever change? It has and it does, with blood to pay!
Like an addict, when it hits rock bottom things are gonna change. Leaders simply
are addicted to money, control, power and living their ways of life. They will
continue to try to behold control. Failure will shift to change. Repeated failure
will eventually bring rockbottom. This group of leaders includes much more than
appear; a president and all his men, for they are only the puppets/spokespersons.
Truly leading are huge corporations and those with the most wealth, who are willing
to give pay offs, calling them donations, to anyone who can support their selfish
causes. Fueled by their greed for more, with no true regard to anything anywhere
ie; humanity, the planet earth, the universe and all of infite space. Laws are
written, supposedly to keep order (control). These laws are broken often by nearly
all, even those who make them. The justice system, unjust, most often justified by
the fact that it is the best justice system on earth. Unjust but more just than any
other. Humans in general or in business claim their purpose good, yet mask true
intention. Agendas are almost always lead by hidden ulterior motives in hopes they
are never revealed. Moral value has declined close to the point of an almost non-
existant, unless someone is watching. Dark secrets could fill oceans if they were
to materialize. From the basic to the hardcore, crimes and assults are committed as
if second nature, with no remorse. More often to full-fill personal pleasures, a
want, rather than a true need.
The general public dont take a stand for anything unless there is a large enough
self benefit. Even when it is in their face, they are just too busy, self obsorbed
and couldn’t be bothered… unless it’s something a simple cash donation could help
fix. This feel-good effort will help rid any self guilt related to the cause.
Just sit back and take it. What ever is dished out. It will be easier, less time
and money to just let it go…
For all this there is a price to pay. As much as they try to forget, this day is
coming, or is it already here? Is another check is gonna cut it?
NOT! It only prolongs it.
We need to get rid of all of these morons! This President is a weak kneed coward who don’t see anything until it hits him in the face! I will not vote for him again! I will stay home this time! What are we suppose to do now? I have a BA degree and even enrolled back in school to update my skills while looking for a job. And I look EVERYDAY! I can’t believe this President and the democrats lied to us about this extension and the meida just ran with it without asking one question about what it will do! I am so sick of these people! They ALL need to loose their jobs and see how it feels to be unemployed!
i dont know what ill do…with the unemployment rate as it is…i thought for certain there would be an extension.
i havent been able to find a job and i have an advance degree, over qualified for some i guess.
i dont know what ill do
someone start a facebook to boycott these two senators
I do not understand this at all. I am a teacher with a master’s degree in the state of MS and unfortunately it is easier to pay a kid right out of school rather than an experienced teacher with a graduates degree. So, I was layed off and have exhausted the Tier 4 process. Now what am I suppose to do? Does anyone in Congress care that our country is going to hell in a hand-basket? I think someone should get off there butt and help us!! We aren’t lazy people, we can’t find work! This is for everyone in the same boat as I am. HELP US!!
WOULD LOVE TO LEAVE THE UNITED STATES, BUT DON’T HAVE THE MEANS AND WAYS!I AM SICK OF TRYING TO FIND A JOB, WHEN THERE ARE NO JOBS. I HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL OF MY BENEFITS AND NO WHERE TO GO FROM HERE.I WANT A JOB, I HAVE WORKED ALL OF MY LIFE AND NOW THIS IS WHAT I GET. I AM LOSING HOPE. WITHOUT ANY INCOME AT ALL, HOW DOES A PERSON SURVIVE?
WHILE WASHINGTON PLAYS THEIR LITTLE GAMES SIGNIFYING NOTHING, PEOPLE ARE BEGGING FOR SOME MERCY AND HELP. WASHINGTON, YOU WILL FALL LIKE A HOUSE MADE OF STRAW IN A TORNADO!
The problem with putting different politicians in office is that there still will not be the immediate change needed. In addition, all the ones that get knocked off their seats still get to collect all the frills associated with having held office. So, when you push one out, you create a spot for the next one in line to collect from the taxpayers’ pockets for the rest of their (politician’s) life. I don’t know the answer..I do know that I am on the last week of Tier 4, in college full time, and don’t know if I will continue to receive benefits. I have not been sitting around doing nothing while collecting unemployment. I started attending college shortly after losing my administrative job in the auto industry. I worked part time (30 hrs.) during the summer and have been a full time student the rest of the time. A lot of unemployed workers have returned to the classroom in hopes of finding gainful employment, but if our funds are cut, how can we accomplish the goal of a degree to prove our worth?
Congress certainly has not lost its will to give away billions of dollars to foreigners. Now we have to pay for a bail out of Greece and the Euro. Nothing has changed in this country with the economy. It is still in the sewer. Not extending unemployment insurance to those who have not used up the 99 weeks will only add to the welfare rolls as people will have nowhere else to turn. So how does that solve any spending issues? Millions of people will be without any source of income this summer as a result. How can our own politicians turn their backs on the working American citizens while handing out billions to corporations that caused this nightmare and to European countries that mismanaged their monetary policies? WE need a tier 5 NOW! I can only imaging what our cities are going to be like during the hot summer months if our leaders pull the rug out from under the millions victims of the corporate greed that put them out of their jobs. There is certain to be civil unrest in this country if our politicians decide to ignore the needs of the jobless while handing out tax dollars to their corporate welfare friends.
now there sending 40 billion to Greece but not help us wtf…