CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
Oct. 20, 2009 – 1:50 p.m.
Extension of Jobless Benefits Tangled Up With Homebuyer Tax Credit
Legislation to extend unemployment benefits has become entangled with a bipartisan effort to extend a popular tax break for first-time homebuyers.
Johnny Isakson , R-Ga., wants to offer an amendment to the jobless benefits bill that would extend the $8,000 tax credit set to expire on Nov. 30 and expand it to all primary home purchases, first-time or otherwise.
But the administration is wary of an extension of the homebuyer’s credit, let alone an expansion. And some Senate Democrats say the Isakson effort should not be allowed to hold up action on the unemployment benefits bill.
Jack Reed , D-R.I., said Tuesday that the housing tax credit extension effort was “a worthy one” but should not be attached to the unemployment measure if that would delay enactment of the bill to help jobless Americans.
“That’s something that should be brought up,” Reed said, “but now is not the time.”
“Why are the Republicans holding up this bill?” asked Charles E. Schumer , D-N.Y. “Don’t they understand the anguish of millions of American families?”
Minority Whip Jon Kyl , R-Ariz., rejected the Democrats’ claims of obstruction by Republicans. He said he expects substantial support for the jobless benefits measure but the issue is “how you pay for it” and whether amendments are allowed.
Senate Republicans have twice objected to Democratic attempts to move the benefits extension by unanimous consent. The proposal would provide 14 additional weeks of unemployment assistance in all 50 states, and an additional six weeks on top of that in states with unemployment rates exceeding 8.5 percent.
A group of Senate Democrats led by Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire had objected to an earlier version of the Senate bill, which would have added 17 weeks in the 27 states with high unemployment rates but only four weeks in other states.
The House version of the bill, which passed 331-83 on Sept. 22, would provide an additional 13 weeks of benefits only to jobless people in high-unemployment states.
Comments
I agree with Senator Reed. Pass the unemployment extension, and worry about other issues in other bills!!!
Why is a bill having to do with first time homebuyers enmeshed with a needed law to extend unemployment benefits? If they don't pass the unemployment benefits extension pretty soon, they are going to have more houses on the market due to foreclosure. This really makes no sense Isakson. Why is the funding an issue? I am amazed someone has not organized an out and out revolution much less a protest. These are the very same lawmakers who came up with Freddie Mac...Why are we letting them get a way with more?
Lily is right on. If you want to put something else on the pile... how about allowing all people whose unemployment ran out( and had no money while they dragged this out) and had to cash in their IRA's to survive; not have to pay penalties and taxes on those transactions. Just seems like we can't win. We still don't know if these benefits, if ever approved, will be retroactive to the last day of our benefits or we have to wait to the bill is passed. Does the government have to pay a penalty for holding up benefits? You better believe NOT!
Facebook event created titled "Unemployed benefit extension virtual march on Washington" http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156123314182 Holding up this unemployment extension bill is tantamount to taking a gun and shooting 14,000 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? Unemployed people have worked for years in most cases actually contributing to the benefit system intended to aid them in their hour of need. This is life and death. WE MUST COLLECT TOGETHER IN CYBERSPACE AND IF NEEDED AT THE CAPITOL and tell these insensitive pigs they need to forget about this politics garbage and respond to our immediate needs. Unemployment is at 10 percent nationwide, which doesn't count people whose unemployment benefits have run out -- 400,000 this month, 1.4 million by December, and those who are underemployed, or working part-time when they need full-time work. The actual unemployment rate is near 20 percent. And as the Jobs Report so clearly illustrates, "employers" continue to cut jobs by the hundreds of thousands each month. The lobbyists buy these senators left and right. Unemployed people don't have any money. What kind of nation have we become? We must band together and collectively call out these insensitive stinking senators -- who had no problem in the last month while the UE benefit bill stalled increasing staff salaries in two minutes, funding wars everywhere, giving money to other countries, enabling million dollar bonuses to bank employees and financial people who screwed the unemployed and the economy and a bunch of other stuff about crack cocaine and whatever else, including their own three-day work weeks. WE DEMAND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT EXTENSIONS TODAY!!!
I agree with Lily too, let poor unemployed get their benefits! I called some GOP in the last two day, their office gave me bunch of BS! I was a Republican all my life, now I'm sorry GOP, I lost my trust and respect for you! Many of us, unemployed worked all our life and we paid tax you have no right to ignore our immediate needs. Without this small check many of us, become homeless!
What a thick pile- better put on my tall boots. There is a petition being signed at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/unemployment/ How about the SENATE salary be withheld until the vote pass?
BE HEARD---http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/unemployment/
What is wrong with these people?????????? They don't hesitate to help other countries, but they choose to let the American people and their families go homeless and starve to death. 20% of the american people can't pay rent, buy food, or take their children to the doctor, because their unemployment ran out and the worthless senators who keep stalling on this bill for extended unemployment benefits, DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE HERE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY, as long as they get paid, they don't give a "D". They should be ashamed of themselves!!!!
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