The House voted 274-137 today to approve legislation that would extend unemployment benefit insurance for up to 26 weeks after failing to pass the measure Wednesday under an expedited procedure. The legislation would provide 13 weeks of unemployment benefits in every state to workers who exhaust the 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits. In states with higher levels of unemployment, an additional 13 weeks would be available, for a total of 26 weeks of extended benefits. Democrats failed to clear the two-thirds hurdle and President Bush has threatened to veto the measure.The vote 'fell three votes shy' of the required two-thirds majority. As you can see at the link, 225 Democrats and 49 Republicans voted for extending unemployment benefits. Not one Democrat voted not to extend the benefit during these times of rising unemployment and all 137 votes against extending benefits, were Republicans.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 'Act', that helps Americans out of work, will cost '$11.7 billion over 10 years', or $1.7 billion a year.
By the end of today, George Bush, who is bleeding $500 million every single day in Iraq, will have squandered $300 million more than that since Friday.
Do George Bush, who will veto this Act, and the 137 House Republicans who voted against it, really care that little about Americans who are struggling to find jobs?
