Bush, Frist, and Nickles Cut 1.1 Million Workers Off From Unemployment Extensions : Indybay

Senate Majority Leader Frist, and Senator Nickles are two of the Senate Republican leaders that have been most responsible for cutting 1.1 million people off from their unemployment extensions. President Bush has said he would sign the unemployment extensions, but Bush has failed 1.1 million American workers by doing nothing, as 1.1 million people were slashed off of unemployment on March 31, 2004.

Senate Majority Leader Frist has been President Bush’s primary tool in cutting 1.1 million people off from their unemployment extensions, and has led Bush’s
war against the American worker every step of the way. It has been Senator Frist, and Senator Nickles that have directed a systematic conspiracy to deprive the American
worker of a few extra weeks of unemployment, so they can find jobs.

There were 58 votes in favor of the Cantwell Amendment to extend unemployment benefits, and Senator Cantwell’s second Amendment on March 31, was opposed
by Senator Frist, and Senator Nickles, so the Amendment never came up for a vote. According to Paul Monies: “David Blatt, director of public policy for the Community Action Project, said there is broad bipartisan support for another extension, with Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and Treasury Secretary John Snow backing the program in recent weeks. But he said legislation is being held up by congressional leaders.”

In a letter to Senator Frist on December 22, 2004, Senator Clinton wrote that: “The unemployment rate today is 5.9%; it was 5.7% in March 2002. There are 450,000 more unemployed individuals today than there were then. The number of jobs has fallen by 300,000 since TEUC was enacted, and the number of individuals out of work for more than six months has risen by more than 700,000, an increase of 53%. Furthermore, three out of four individuals receiving unemployment insurance benefits are exhausting their benefits without finding work. We should terminate the TEUC program only when the job outlook for the unemployed is significantly better than it was when we enacted the program.”

The main problem that has been holding up the approval of the unemployment extensions, and has led to 1.1 million eligible workers being cut off have been Republican leaders like Bush, Frist, and Nickles. According to Isaac Shapiro at
the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “The Republican leadership in both the House and Senate have so far opposed resuming the program and continue to throw up legislative roadblocks. The Bush Administration has refused to take a public position on the issue. If the Congressional leadership were to change its position, or if the Administration were to come out in support of resuming the program, it is quite likely the program would be quickly restored. The mounting and unprecedented number of individuals exhausting their regular benefits and going without federal aid suggest this would be a desirable outcome. With the number of exhaustees already topping one million, and growing larger each day, the TEUC program should be resumed.”

The number of unemployed workers cut off unemployment by Bush, Frist, and Nickles, and other Republican leaders in the Senate has grown to 13,500 in Arizona, 176,700 in California, 41,900 in Florida, 103,300 in New York, 37,600 in North Carolina, 20,000 in Tennessee, 52,800 in Illinois, 48,500 in Michigan, and 72,000 in Texas. Many of these people who have exhausted their benefits have children
to feed, rent to pay, and health care expenses.

Even though the job market remains week, and Frederal Reserve Chairman Greenspan has endorsed unemployment extensions the Bush Administration, and Republican
leadership in the Senate has continued to declare war on the American worker. Hopefully, Bush, Frist, and Nickles can be held accountable at the ballot box for the human suffering, and economic pain that they have inflicted upon the workers of this country.

Email the US Senate to extend unemployment benefits.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

http://action.nelp.org/action/

For more check out:

http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/releases/2004_03_31_ui.html

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/national/8331646.htm

Bush, Frist, and Nickles Cut 1.1 Million Workers Off From Unemployment Extensions

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