Senate Passes Jobless Aid, Tax Breaks

(AP)  The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to extend a host of soon-to-expire elements of last year's economic stimulus measure, including help for the jobless and money to help financially strapped states pay for health care for the poor.

The 62-36 vote came over protests from conservatives who say the bill adds too much to the $12.5 trillion national debt. Six Republicans joined all but one Democrat in voting for the bill.

The plight of the jobless and the political power of an annual package of tax breaks powered the measure through the Senate, even though it would add more than $130 billion to the budget deficit over the next year and a half.

The measure is the second piece of the Democrats' much-touted "jobs agenda" to pass the Senate this year, with more elements promised, such as help for small businesses suffering from a credit crunch. Concern over out-of-control budget deficits are a big challenge to the success of the agenda.

The vote sends the measure into talks with the House, which is wary about some Senate provisions included to defray the measure's impact on the deficit since they may want to use such "offsets" to help finance an overhaul of the health care system.

Democrats also hope to finish work this week on a far smaller job-creation measure blending additional highway spending with new tax breaks for companies that hire the unemployed.

The bill would provide unemployment benefits of up to 99 weeks in many states for people mired in joblessness as the economy slowly recovers from the worst recession in decades.

The measure illustrates the great extent to which direct help for the jobless and the poor makes up a large portion of Democrats' election-year agenda on jobs - and threatens to squeeze out other items amid concerns about a budget deficit.

The sweeping bill cleans up a host of unfinished congressional business from last year that languished as the Senate focused on health care.

Wednesday's larger bill also provides the annual extension of $26 billion worth of tax breaks for businesses and individuals that are popular with senators in both parties.

The $66 billion cost of providing additional months of unemployment checks - the core benefit is 26 weeks - is added directly to a budget deficit expected to hit $1.6 trillion this year.

But Democrats said it would be heartless to cut off unemployment benefits to the long-term jobless and contended that the benefits inject demand into the economy, helping to lift it.

[CBSisCommunist5]

TAX AND SPEND BABY TAX AND SPEND

[desertlady1]

If the govt is giving tax breaks to companies hiring unemployed workers, shouldn't the companies who have laid off thousands of workers get tax penalties?

[bliddel]

People... please remember that the 10% unemployment rate includes only people still getting unemployment benefits. Long-term unemployed numbers are also very high, and may be increasing. The total (real) number hovers around 17%.

As for those who think being on UI benefits is a bed of roses, think again. To collect, I have to be able to prove every week that I have made a sustained continuous search for suitable employment, and that I've not worked cash jobs, nor gotten training, vacation pay, severance pay, nor even been sick more than 3 days in any one week.

If you know someone breaking the rules, turn them in!

People hiring today have unrealistic expectations. A firm doesn't just want a painter, for example, they want someone with a PhD in industrial coatings (with 3.5 GPA), and 4-6 years experience applying green latex-based paint to the east walls of bathrooms in hospitals, with a 2-inch wide brush. Persons not meeting these minimum criteria (other colors, paint-classes, brush widths, walls, rooms, or environments) need not apply.

[KeithDrippingSprings]

You are right. The government also does some innovative counting. Last week if you looked up the states individually the numbers added up to 11.5 million people receiving unemployment benefits. If you look at the official national numbers, it was 9.5 million. So they are trying to sugar coat the bad news. Your number is closer to right. All together those who have run out of benefits and those who have given up looking for employment the numbers could run between 18 and 20 million people. At any rate there are 8 million jobs gone that will not return so even if we have a robust recovery we will still be left with about an 8% unemployment rate.

[ohio_sparrow]

I am so sick and tired of all the whining about the extension of unemployment benefits. I have worked steadily ever since I was 16 years old and in the 26 years since then I have never seen things this bad. Here in Ohio, jobs are especially scarce since we have always been a big manufacturing city, but those jobs have long since been lost to NAFTA and China, Mexico, Thailand, etc. We were hurting long before the recession stripped away most of the remaining jobs to the point that we've recently seen hundreds of applicants just for 15 server jobs at a local family restaurant. Yeah, maybe there are a few people sitting at home collecting unemployment and playing video games instead of looking for work. But the vast majority are desperately looking for any reasonable job that will keep a roof over their heads and food on their family's table. Those people paid their taxes faithfully for years and now they need to get what they paid those taxes for. So don't you dare perch up there on your high horses and pontificate to the rest of us about who deserves what. If you have a good paying job that pays the bills during this lousy recession from hell, count yourselves as seriously lucky. But don't forget, if things continue as they are, next week or month it could be you looking for that unemployment benefit check!

[KeithDrippingSprings]

I have been paying in for 42 years and not collected a thing until now. Some of those self assured @sholes might be singing a different tune if it was them out here, with us, looking for some way to pay our house notes and buy groceries.

[the74blaster]

Sorry to hear about your situation. I too have been laid off and fortunately have found work. However, I notice the people screaming about the federal spending have no issues if we run the deficit up to spend on defense or optional wars.

Maybe its tme for the unemployed to becom a voting block so we can get rid of the arrogant politicians who believe paying unemployment is a waste of tax revenue.

Thats how I am voting!

[1914rulebegan]

Looks like The Democrats will use the "self executing rule" pass the changes to the health care bill with out having to vote on the Senate version under this rule . The Senate vertion will automatically have been deemed to pass when they pass the changes. Pretty slick huh? By the way of the 6 contemporary uses of the self-executing rule only one of them was done by a session of Congress that was controlled by the Democrats (101st session). The other five instances were carried out by sessions that were controlled in both chambers by Republicans (104th, 105th and 109th). Fair is fair.

[proudmilvet]

Jim Bunning & Tom Delay must both be silently weeping right now! What Scum!

[hateisafourletterword]

Yes. They are weeping for your kids and my kids. No future except working to pay off OUR debt.

I guess you do not care if we leave our future generations indebted to the point of no hope do you?

[nearl451]

Yes WAh wAh Wah. That's about the extent of their benefit to American society what so ever.

[stn_sage]

Well, bravo! The Senate finally got off it's collective 'arses', and voted on something!

NOW, if they'd internalize that activity (action), and make it a habit, maybe some of the public's business would get done!

In November, the public needs to fire incumbent Senators from both parties and hire new ones that will work on business instead of tying up everything and getting nothing done!

[deohgee]

How about making the people collecting unemployment do community service or some public project so they are at least giving something back? I know a lot of people that are collecting unemployment and working cash jobs and laughing at the system. Doesn't seem right to me.

[curse914]

I guess you surround your self with jerks. But you know, that is only based on anecdotal evidence.

[KeithDrippingSprings]

I have been contributing to the unemployment insurance for 42 years and haven't collected anything until now. I don't think I am short of giving back to my community, and I deserve some help when the economy was destroyed by the banks and government. They bailed out all the scoundrels and thieves, why not bail out a few of us honest guys that are victims of these failed policies.

[curse914]

by snaptrap1-2009 March 10, 2010 5:48 PM EST
Get real...Big business buys ,sell, and runs the government. Why do you think they spend millions to get a job that pays thousand? These people are not your friends. They are the ones who sold us out and sent all of the jobs over to china, etc... so that there bottom line could get bigger, that one of the reasons there is no jobs. The unemployed had no control over all of those corporate welfare deadbeats who have ripped off your children futures, these folks don't run America. They all ready got the poor men dollars, now while you are crying about the unemployed, they taking your dollars...you could be right, all of these poor unemployed folks are deadbeats...but they don't run the government...

===========

WRONG! Sanp, it was transients and hobos that created funny sounding financial instruments like "Default Credit Swaps" and "Derivatives."

It was a bum face down in the gutter that made us purchase fossil fuel from OPEC.

It was a starving child who completely deregulated the financial sector!

And finally it was crippled invalids who created incentive and tax loops holes that allowed corporations to off shore manufacturing to countries that have zero labor, product safety and environmental laws.

And I do not want to hear another word about it!!!!I# Now if you will excuse me, I am going to get back to watching my stock ticker!!

[mrleme]

Please stop continuous benefits of unemployment! It hurts all of us and prevents job creation. The money has to come from somewhere... maybe all the executive branch, judicial branch and legislative branches of government should fore go their paycheck to pay for this!

[the74blaster]

How about raising the income tax on the top 1 percent that are benefiting from exportation of our jobs overseas? After all the working class has been paying for the increased profits of these people for years with the loss of their jobs.

[nearl451]

Naw justraise thetax rateon mrleme to80% ofwhat he makes. That way the restof us are happier.....and according to the SCOTUS have more free speech.