Unemployment extensions: House tries again

#unemployment #hr4213 #economy #s3520 #hr5618 #paygo

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Camp Floor Statement: H.R. 5618 Federal Unemployment Extension -- Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Here we go again. Another month, another bill extending unemployment benefits and extending the federal deficit.

Only this time the Democrats have now waited almost an entire month since these programs last expired to come up with a plan for how to extend them, leaving hundreds of thousands of long-term unemployed people without needed benefits. And, it is all because Democrats refuse to pay for these benefits despite record federal deficits.

Mr. Speaker, I am one of many on this side who support helping long-term unemployed people. I have voted for these benefits. Even though my home state of Michigan recently ended its four-year run of the highest unemployment rate in the Nation, the pain suffered by our residents remains real.

But the American people know it isn’t right to simply add the cost of this spending to our already overdrawn national credit card. They want to help those in need but also know that someone has to pay when government spends money. That assistance must not put our fiscal house as a nation in even worse shape. And we are already in terrible shape, thanks to the other side. The Democrats’ trillion-dollar stimulus plan created millions of unemployed workers instead of millions of promised jobs. We can and should cut that ineffective stimulus spending to pay for extending UI benefits, as my colleague Mr. Heller of Nevada has proposed. Stimulus hasn’t worked – in its wake nearly 3 million private sector jobs were lost, unemployment soared to 10 percent nationwide, and 48 of 50 states lost jobs. The only thing we stimulated is more government jobs.

Even Democrats now question the wisdom of all that spending, as evidenced by the fact the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee proposed last week to cut some of it to pay for extending other expired policies.

But instead of that common-sense approach, our colleagues on the other side have brought up this unpaid-for bill under a process that prevents any amendment, including any effort to pay for this spending. So this bill will be defeated, and they know that. Not because Members on both sides oppose helping the unemployed – but because Members, reflecting what they are hearing from their constituents, oppose adding another $33 billion to our $13 trillion mountain of debt.

Look around the world. Countries are sinking in debt. Yet the Democrat leaders of this House seem among the last to understand this reckless spending cannot go on forever. I urge my colleagues to oppose this deficit extending bill today, so we can bring up a real bill that allows us to pass and actually pay for these benefits for the long-term unemployed. That is the only road out of the policy dead end into which the other side’s spendaholic ways have driven us.

Source: Ways and Means (GOP)

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Sen. Alexander (R-TN) on Senate floor:

The Democrats' runaway spending and debt is a serious crisis ruining the future of our children. That is why we do not want to pass even an unemployment compensation bill that adds to the debt. We want to pass it, but we want to make sure it does not add to the debt.

All the Presidents combined from George Washington to George W. Bush took 232 years to build up a $5.8 trillion debt. President Obama's budgets will double that debt in 5 years and triple it in 10.

The PAYGO or pay-as-you-go rule compels new spending or tax changes to not add to the federal deficit.

New proposals must either be "budget neutral" or offset with savings derived from existing funds.

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Both parties want your unemployment extensions continued but democrats insist that the costs of the extensions be added to the national debt. Not only are the republicans concerned about your current situation, they are concerned about your children’s future by having the Paygo law obeyed and have the extensions paid for now.

You can contact the Senate GOP and tell them to ignore the Paygo law, risk your kid’s future and pass S3520 or HR5618 with the cost added to national debt.

Or you can contact the Senate democrats and tell them to obey the Paygo law, consider your kid’s future and pass S3520 or HR5618 with the cost of the extensions paid for now.

Both parties are being hardnosed and consider their position as helping them in the mid-term election. Whether you believe the republicans or you believe the democrats, you should contact Washington.

S3520 is the Senate standalone unemployment extension bill.

Unfortunately, the Senate will have to pass HR5618 in order for the unemployment extensions to get sent to Obama. Or unfortunately, the House will have to pass S3520 or HR4213 in order for the unemployment extensions to get sent to Obama. I doubt it will get done before the July 4th two week recess.

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