Last month the unemployment rate in the United States took its largest jump upwards in twenty years going from 5% up to 5.5%. Today in the House of Representatives they voted on extending unemployment benefits by 13 weeks to address the number of people currently running out of such benefits. Unfortunately, under the rules necessary to pass this particular legislation they needed a two-thirds majority and came up just three votes shy of that mark.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee put out a press release condemning the continued obstruction of House Republicans to solving the current economic slowdown:
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee put out a press release condemning the continued obstruction of House Republicans to solving the current economic slowdown:
DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen released the following statement after the vote:
"House Republican efforts to defend the status quo and protect George Bush's and John McCain's failed economic polices have reached a new low. Less than one week after the largest one-month jump in America's unemployment rate in two decades, House Republicans blocked passage of a bill to extend unemployment insurance to workers, who are struggling to find a new job in this slowing economy.
"This is a firm reminder that Republicans are absolutely comfortable with the status quo and are completely out of touch with the harsh economic realities facing American workers."
It will come as little surprise that two of those NO votes were Minnesota Republicans Michele Bachmann and John Kline. Now I am fully aware that Michele Bachmann continues to cling to the belief that this Bush economy is the greatest thing since sliced bread and that we should be proud of our "workingest" state but it is no less disheartening to watch as my representation in Congress spits in the eye of our unemployed and tells them that if we extend benefits they will invariably become lazy slobs. So, from the archives I leave you with this all too relevant Michele Bachmann classic:
Cross Posted on Dump Bachmann & St. Cloud Times
