Democrats love this stuff ... especially around the holidays. If you listen closely you can hear the leftist outcry even before it arrives ... (though I'm sure it's here in full force by this morning) .... Here are the headlines:
Republicans block extension of jobless benefits for holidays.
As the holidays approach, Republicans want jobless to go without benefits
GOP destroys Christmas for jobless families.
Republicans fight for tax cuts for rich, while denying extension of jobless benefits
The truth? The Democrats WANTED this benefits extension of unemployment benefits to fail. They PLANNED for it to fail.You got it. The Democrats never intended for this benefits extension to pass. This was a designed and intentional failure. Remember ... the Democrats still have the majority in the House. They can pass pretty much anything they want to. But ... they DIDN'T want to. They were after some ammunition to use against the hated GOP, not extended unemployment benefits for jobless Americans (and those sitting on their ever-broadening asses while their benefits run out). Here's how they pulled this off:
The bill extending unemployment benefits is put on the floor of the House under what they call "fast-track rules." I think "fast and furious rules" would be more appropriate. Under these rules a two-thirds vote is required for passage. รข€¨
The Republicans were not permitted to offer any amendments to the bill. All the GOP wanted to do was to introduce an amendment calling for this $12.5 billion price tag on this bill to be covered with spending reductions in some other areas. Now come on ... with government spending having doubled and doubled again in recent years, don't tell me these people couldn't find a way to cut spending in some unnecessary areas to cover these extended benefits. The Republicans had some suggestions ... cut stimulus spending in some less effective areas. Now on what level does that NOT make sense?
Now being the brilliantly though insensitive guy that I am, I have developed my own solution to our long-term jobless benefit crisis. It goes a little something like this:
Unemployment benefits paid from unemployment taxes collected from employers (who collect them from their workers) would last for 36 weeks. That's nine months. During this period of time anyone receiving these benefits would be required by law to accept any offered job that pays them 90 percent of their average earnings for their last year of employment. Failure to take the offered job without just cause results in an immediate termination of unemployment benefits ... and a public caning.
After the 36 weeks of unemployment benefits expire the unemployed person will be eligible to apply for a program of financial support for the unemployed; but only after collecting unemployment for 36 months while actively searching for a job. Any further benefits paid at this point shall be in the form of a loan, not a straight cash payment. Once the unemployed person finds a job he will be given a grace period of six months during which time he can try to get his financial feet on the ground. After that time the supplementary benefits - the loan - will be paid back through payroll deductions equaling no less than 10% of each paycheck. That percentage will increase as the amount of the paychecks increase.
I'm going to sit back here for a moment and soak up your adulation for this wonderful plan. In the meantime ... as you hear all of these Democrats screaming about how evil Republicans are for not extending unemployment benefits ... remember that this was all carefully planned by the Democrats. This is the outcome they wanted. They were looking for ammunition to use against Republicans, not more help for the unemployed.
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