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Posted on 01/08/2003 11:06:03 AM PST by NormsRevenge
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5 minutes ago
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By LEIGH STROPE, AP Labor Writer
WASHINGTON - The House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to provide additional unemployment benefits to some 2.5 million Americans, speeding the emergency bill to the White House for President Bush (news - web sites)'s signature.
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The House passed the $7.25 billion plan — which will provide five more months of benefits — on a vote of 416-4. That came almost exactly 24 hours after the Senate gave its unanimous support. Bush, who had urged Congress to act quickly, has until Thursday to sign the bill into law to avoid potential disruptions in benefit checks being sent to jobless workers.
"Today the line is drawn," said Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who scolded Democrats who were pushing for even more benefits. "We can do what we should have done back in December."
The measure helped Republicans avoid a politically damaging issue at a time when the slumping economy is showing no signs of a quick recovery. Democrats and labor unions have loudly blamed the loss of benefits on House Republicans and Bush, who remained on the sidelines during a legislative stalemate late last year.
"Frankly, it's the least they can do," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "But we can do better."
The bill will restore federal benefits to more than 750,000 people who were cut off when the program expired Dec. 28 because Congress failed to renew the program before adjourning. Another 1.6 million people who exhaust all their state benefits would be eligible for federal aid until June 1.
Democrats in both chambers failed to get coverage for another 1 million workers who already have used up state and federal benefits.
"This is an abomination, and Lord have mercy on all of us as we try to be compassionate for those in need," said Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas.
Bush's late support elevated unemployed workers to the top of the new Congress' must-do list and prodded House Republican leaders to accept largely the same compromise package crafted by Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites), D-N.Y., and Don Nickles, R-Okla. That plan passed the Senate passed in November, when it was under Democratic control.
This package was rushed through the halls of Congress at a speed not normally seen in the opening days of a new session.
"I believe this is the right thing to do," said Thomas, who supported a more modest proposal passed by the House last year that would have extended the 13-weeks of federal benefits only to workers in a few high unemployment states. "It is absolutely essential that we do it today rather than argue," he said.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said the plan is "continuation of a very generous program," brushing off Democrats' complaints.
"Nothing is good enough for them," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, saying Democrats would extend benefits indefinitely "so someone could stay out of work for the rest of their lives."
The nation's unemployment rate has soared to match an eight-year high of 6 percent in November. December's figures will be released Friday by the Labor Department (news - web sites).
House Republicans favored tax cuts to stimulate economic growth, saying that would help jobless workers more than Democrats' attempts to expand jobless benefits. Four Republicans voted against the benefits extension.
"In addition to unemployment assistance, we will work to deliver stronger economic growth so that the unemployed can get what they most want — a job," Thomas said.
House Democrats questioned House GOP leaders' late support for a larger unemployment package. They also accused the White House of neglecting unemployed workers until Bush could reap the political benefits of a benefits extension.
Rep. Jim McDermott (news, bio, voting record), D-Wash., said he thinks the White House wants to boast about extending jobless benefits in a show of concern for the downtrodden while at the same time unveiling a stimulus package that benefits wealthy Americans.
"If you're going to stab people, first you've got to give them a ham sandwich," McDermott said.
Bush was in Chicago on Tuesday introducing his "growth and jobs" economic stimulus plan at the same time the Senate was nearing passage of the unemployment benefits. Bush's plan would provide tax relief to an estimated 92 million Americans by accelerating income tax rate cuts, wiping out all federal taxes on stock dividends paid to investors and boosting the child tax credit by $400 per child.
Considering all the baloney he's been trying to give to the American people, he should know something about cold cuts.
| YEAS | NAYS | PRES | NV | |
| REPUBLICAN | 218 | 4 | 6 | |
| DEMOCRATIC | 197 | 7 | ||
| INDEPENDENT | 1 | |||
| TOTALS | 416 | 4 | 13 |
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| Abercrombie | Gingrey | Oberstar |
| Ackerman | Gonzalez | Obey |
| Aderholt | Goode | Olver |
| Alexander | Goodlatte | Ortiz |
| Allen | Gordon | Osborne |
| Andrews | Goss | Ose |
| Baca | Granger | Otter |
| Baird | Graves | Owens |
| Baker | Green (TX) | Oxley |
| Baldwin | Green (WI) | Pallone |
| Ballance | Greenwood | Pascrell |
| Ballenger | Grijalva | Pastor |
| Barrett (SC) | Gutierrez | Payne |
| Bartlett (MD) | Gutknecht | Pearce |
| Barton (TX) | Hall | Pelosi |
| Bass | Harman | Pence |
| Beauprez | Harris | Peterson (MN) |
| Becerra | Hart | Peterson (PA) |
| Bereuter | Hastings (FL) | Petri |
| Berkley | Hastings (WA) | Pickering |
| Berman | Hayes | Pitts |
| Berry | Hayworth | Platts |
| Biggert | Hefley | Pombo |
| Bilirakis | Hensarling | Pomeroy |
| Bishop (GA) | Herger | Porter |
| Bishop (NY) | Hill | Portman |
| Bishop (UT) | Hinchey | Price (NC) |
| Blackburn | Hinojosa | Pryce (OH) |
| Blumenauer | Hobson | Putnam |
| Blunt | Hoeffel | Quinn |
| Boehlert | Hoekstra | Radanovich |
| Boehner | Holden | Rahall |
| Bonilla | Holt | Ramstad |
| Bonner | Honda | Rangel |
| Bono | Hostettler | Regula |
| Boozman | Houghton | Rehberg |
| Boswell | Hoyer | Renzi |
| Boucher | Hulshof | Reyes |
| Boyd | Hunter | Reynolds |
| Bradley (NH) | Hyde | Rodriguez |
| Brady (PA) | Inslee | Rogers (AL) |
| Brady (TX) | Isakson | Rogers (KY) |
| Brown (OH) | Israel | Rogers (MI) |
| Brown (SC) | Issa | Rohrabacher |
| Brown, Corrine | Istook | Ros-Lehtinen |
| Brown-Waite, Ginny | Jackson (IL) | Ross |
| Burgess | Jackson-Lee (TX) | Rothman |
| Burns | Janklow | Roybal-Allard |
| Burr | Jefferson | Royce |
| Burton (IN) | Jenkins | Ruppersberger |
| Buyer | John | Rush |
| Calvert | Johnson (CT) | Ryan (OH) |
| Camp | Johnson (IL) | Ryan (WI) |
| Cannon | Johnson, E. B. | Ryun (KS) |
| Cantor | Johnson, Sam | Sabo |
| Capito | Jones (NC) | Sanchez, Linda T. |
| Capps | Jones (OH) | Sanchez, Loretta |
| Capuano | Kanjorski | Sanders |
| Cardin | Kaptur | Sandlin |
| Cardoza | Keller | Saxton |
| Carson (IN) | Kelly | Schakowsky |
| Carson (OK) | Kennedy (MN) | Schiff |
| Carter | Kennedy (RI) | Schrock |
| Case | Kildee | Scott (GA) |
| Castle | King (IA) | Scott (VA) |
| Chabot | King (NY) | Sensenbrenner |
| Chocola | Kingston | Serrano |
| Clay | Kirk | Sessions |
| Clyburn | Kleczka | Shadegg |
| Coble | Kline | Shaw |
| Cole | Knollenberg | Shays |
| Collins | Kolbe | Sherman |
| Combest | Kucinich | Sherwood |
| Conyers | LaHood | Shimkus |
| Cooper | Lampson | Shuster |
| Costello | Langevin | Simmons |
| Cox | Lantos | Simpson |
| Cramer | Larsen (WA) | Skelton |
| Crane | Latham | Slaughter |
| Crenshaw | LaTourette | Smith (MI) |
| Crowley | Leach | Smith (NJ) |
| Cubin | Lee | Smith (TX) |
| Culberson | Levin | Smith (WA) |
| Cummings | Lewis (CA) | Snyder |
| Cunningham | Lewis (GA) | Solis |
| Davis (AL) | Lewis (KY) | Souder |
| Davis (CA) | Linder | Spratt |
| Davis (FL) | Lipinski | Stark |
| Davis (IL) | LoBiondo | Stearns |
| Davis (TN) | Lofgren | Stenholm |
| Davis, Jo Ann | Lowey | Strickland |
| Davis, Tom | Lucas (KY) | Stupak |
| Deal (GA) | Lucas (OK) | Sullivan |
| DeFazio | Lynch | Sweeney |
| DeGette | Majette | Tancredo |
| DeLauro | Maloney | Tanner |
| DeLay | Manzullo | Tauscher |
| DeMint | Markey | Taylor (MS) |
| Deutsch | Marshall | Taylor (NC) |
| Diaz-Balart, L. | Matheson | Terry |
| Diaz-Balart, M. | Matsui | Thomas |
| Dicks | McCarthy (MO) | Thompson (CA) |
| Dingell | McCarthy (NY) | Thompson (MS) |
| Doggett | McCollum | Thornberry |
| Dooley (CA) | McCotter | Tiahrt |
| Doolittle | McCrery | Tiberi |
| Doyle | McGovern | Tierney |
| Dreier | McHugh | Toomey |
| Duncan | McInnis | Turner (OH) |
| Dunn | McIntyre | Turner (TX) |
| Edwards | McKeon | Udall (CO) |
| Ehlers | McNulty | Udall (NM) |
| Emanuel | Meehan | Upton |
| Emerson | Meek (FL) | Van Hollen |
| Engel | Meeks (NY) | Velazquez |
| English | Menendez | Visclosky |
| Eshoo | Mica | Vitter |
| Etheridge | Michaud | Walden (OR) |
| Evans | Millender-McDonald | Walsh |
| Everett | Miller (MI) | Wamp |
| Farr | Miller (NC) | Waters |
| Fattah | Miller, Gary | Watson |
| Feeney | Miller, George | Watt |
| Ferguson | Mollohan | Waxman |
| Filner | Moore | Weiner |
| Fletcher | Moran (KS) | Weldon (FL) |
| Foley | Moran (VA) | Weldon (PA) |
| Forbes | Murphy | Weller |
| Ford | Murtha | Wexler |
| Fossella | Musgrave | Whitfield |
| Frank (MA) | Myrick | Wicker |
| Franks (AZ) | Nadler | Wilson (NM) |
| Frelinghuysen | Napolitano | Wilson (SC) |
| Frost | Neal (MA) | Woolsey |
| Gephardt | Ney | Wu |
| Gerlach | Northup | Wynn |
| Gibbons | Norwood | Young (AK) |
| Gilchrest | Nunes | Young (FL) |
| Gillmor | Nussle |
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| Flake | Miller (FL) | |
| Garrett (NJ) | Paul |
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| Akin | Kilpatrick | Tauzin |
| Bachus | Kind | Towns |
| Bell | Larson (CT) | Wolf |
| Delahunt | McDermott | |
| Gallegly | Nethercutt |
People are so damn stupid
There wouldn't be any unemployment benefits if socialistic government policies would stop fabricating these artificial boom-and-bust economic cycles.
It's the people's money anyway, might as well get paid for sitting on my ass since my hard-earned tax dollars went for foreign aid boondoggles and welfare for those who truly don't deserve it.
If I know I will always get these extensions (politicians will alway pander), and I can live on what they give me (not live well, but still live), why bother getting a job?
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