Extending Assistance for Unemployed Americans
As Budget Chairman Paul Ryan continues his “poverty messaging tour” today, with both a Budget hearing and CBC meeting, your ever-helpful Democratic Whip press shop put some questions together for you to ask him. There’s a lot to choose from, including his budget that disinvests in the majority of critical programs that prevent poverty and help people get out of it, and a voting record that doesn’t reflect an interest in ending poverty. Here are just a few questions to get you started:
This week, House Republicans begin pursuing an agenda laid out by Leader Cantor in a memo titled, “An America that Works.” Unfortunately, the GOP memo shows exactly why, under their leadership, this is a Congress that doesn’t work. What they have put forward is an agenda that works for some, while denying access to opportunities for millions by ignoring immigration reform, raising the minimum wage, renewing emergency unemployment insurance, or creating jobs.
Add Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to the growing list of Republicans urging Speaker Boehner to bring the Senate’s bipartisan bill to renew emergency unemployment insurance to the Floor.
“Thank you very much for being here. I first of all want to start by thanking Sandy Levin. Congressman Levin is from Michigan and he’s the Ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee. Otherwise known as the guy who’s got all the fans in the audience. That’s terrific.
Yesterday the Senate passed a bipartisan agreement of emergency unemployment insurance for five months.
Today, the Senate took important action to renew emergency unemployment insurance for the more than 2.8 million Americans who have had this critical assistance cut off since it expired at the end of December
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
Instead of taking action on critical issues, including renewing emergency unemployment insurance, raising the minimum wage, or passing comprehensive immigration reform, House Republicans chose to pursue partisanship over bipartisan solutions. Republicans’ obsession with repealing and or undermining the Affordable Care Act turned a bipartisan and bicameral agreement to permanen
“I am encouraged that a bipartisan group of Senators announced a proposal to restore emergency unemployment insurance for the more than 2 million Americans who had this assistance cut off since December 28.
I was proud to sign a petition today that would force a vote in the House on restoring emergency unemployment insurance for more than 2 million Americans who have seen that assistance disappear since December.
As House Republicans consider the 50th attempt to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act, a long list of critical legislation has not been addressed – and there’s not much hope for the rest of 2014. House Republicans have indicated that they are not interested in making progress on substantive, bipartisan legislation for the rest of the year: