*** UPDATE: Republican Senator Flips Off Middle Finger to Families: Takes Food Off Kids Plates
From Denny: Kentucky Republican Senator Jim Bunning blocks extension of unemployment benefits to 400,000 - literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry children whose parents are depending upon the extension of unemployment benefits. The economy is equal to the time of The Great Depression when 20% of the country was unemployed. Today we call it underemployed; the underemployed figure is far higher, explaining the reason for bankruptcies across the nation. He's acting as a one man blockade by placing a hold on a short term $10 billion spending bill he doesn't like.
This year, because of his years of bizarre behavior, even his own Republican Party begged him NOT to run again; he did against their wiser objections. In 2006 Time Magazine named him five of the worst Senators in America. His reputation in the Senate is that of an arrogant, vicious man of mean temper, certainly not suited to the role of governing as a "cooler heads should prevail" Senator as the Founding Fathers originally intended for the Senate.
Because of his action: over 2,000 federal department of transportation workers are furloughed without pay, drunk driving programs, highway projects and extension of unemployment benefits to over 400,000 people are stopped and now expired. Work projects across the nation are affected by his action. What are these people supposed to do to pay their bills?
What else has been triggered by his action? A 21% decrease in Medicare fees paid to doctors for one. Even though his action can only last a few days at best, the long term effects are lingering for the unemployed as they try to catch up on their bills. The federal government spends more too - so his claim of watching spending is a joke.
One man affects the lives of thousands of people who now can't pay their bills or house notes and may end up in foreclosure as a result of his selfish act. How is that? The unemployed will not receive their unemployment monies from the days lost to this Senatorial hold by Bunning. So, if it goes on for 10 days then the unemployed lose one third of that month's benefits. This is one dastardly Republican strategy for sure.
He claims he's interested in talking about how to pay for this bill. The reality is he's cavalier with people's lives. This bill could not have gotten this far into the process unless the funds were there. So, his claimed reason is nonsense.
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