Capping a week in which the administration scored a victory - a $20 billion fund to be paid by BP for the victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill - Obama reserved his radio and Internet address to focus on the work that didn't get done.
His main concern was the rejection of a bill in the Senate that would have provided more money for the long-term unemployed, aid for strapped state governments and the renewal of popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals.
"If this obstruction continues, unemployed Americans will see their benefits stop," Obama said. "Teachers and firefighters will lose their jobs. Families will pay more for their first home. All we ask for is a simple up or down vote. That's what the American people deserve."
The broad economic bill failed Thursday when Democrats could not muster the 60 votes needed to end debate. The 56-40 vote fell four shy of the total required to break the GOP filibuster. Republicans support many of the policies in the legislation but are demanding changes to shrink its toll on the deficit.
["Obstruction..."-- it sounds like it was a few Democrats who shot this down-- Editor]
"Americans want us to show we're serious about lowering the debt, so the president and his allies in Congress have a choice to make: they can either vote to reduce the deficit, or they can lock arms and dig an even deeper hole of debt," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
10 comments:
The entire mess of an economy in this country lies squarely at the feet of Obama.
He's worn out the blame it on Bush excuse for his own incompetence so now he's going to blame it on republicans in general.
Dumbocrats control, the house senate and the whitehouse, but it's the republicans fault....priceless!
Remember, it's never his fault. Never his party's fault. They'll tell you they HAVE to spend more, they'll reach in our pockets for more money to spend, all the while trying to convince the public economic conditions are improving and that they're not nickel n dime'n us to death. 95% got a tax cut? Yeah...I guess we gotta start taking that with a side of gov't block cheese. I hope they continue lockstep straight off a cliff.
Life needs to be a little harder for the "jobless." The jobless I'm referring to are the "jobless by choice." Obama has made it so easy for people to sit on their asses and collect unemployment that people are not motivated to find jobs. They think the jobs that are available are below their worth so they'd rather sit and watch tv all day and collect a check. Get a JOB!
Chavez / Obama what a combo.
life should be hard for the unemployed! afterall, it's hard as hell for those of us breaking our backs to make a living for ourselves AND also footing the bill for the benefits paid to the unemployed.
It makes little sense for the Tar Ball Administration to advocate the hiring of more public sector employees, paying them to report to an office, then paying private sector employees to stay at home. Like the Gulf situation, nothing is being fixed nor have we seen a plan. It's been just one big blame game.
I blame it on both Parties Bush and Obama. Democrats and Republicans are both two sides to one coin. It was their policy's that started in eighties with these so called free trade agreements that started the great sucking sound that Ross Perot predicted would happen. I know because I was one of the victims. First they went for the blue collar jobs and union busting. I was a white collar employee working in I.T. Was told we had nothing to worry about. Then they starting insourcing and outsourcing white collar work to other countries like India and Pakistan. I even helped to train some of them. It was do that or get fired! Well I was finally laid off this time last year. If I even hear a foreign accent on the phone when I call for customer service, I insist to talk to someone else! If I get a call from a foreign telemarketer I tell them off and then hand up on them! Tell them they can shove their business where the sun don't shine!
Government policy created this mess, and it may take a second american revolution to fix it!!!
Wow, did that say making harder for the jobless. He should come to MD where everyone around here seems to know how to work the system and get unemployment. And believe me they are fat and happy on it. Most of them say unemployment pays them more than they would get paid to work so they aren't looking for a job anytime soon. If someone would check up on the 'put in 2 apps a week' they would see barely anyone is doing that. It's really sick when we work super hard and still can't pay bills.
Amen, 9:30 PM. Amen.
Seriously? I cant speak for all the unemployed but most of those I encounter are very happy to collect their biweekly unemployment checks indefinitely and as long the government will allow,and this extension would just give them another summer off.In MD,most people on unemployment qualify for tuition aid but alot of them only go to classes to get out of job searches.The people I know who really need the help dont qualify for UI (self employed,illness,etc) but I see an awful lot of folks abusing it.
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