Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) Blocks Bill to Renew Federal Unemployment Benefits

Posted by: Mitchell Hirsch on Dec 01, 2010

As the deadline for the expiration of federal unemployment insurance programs loomed last night, an effort to bring up a Senate bill to continue the benefits programs for a full year was blocked by Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown.

With just hours until the midnight November 30 expiration of the programs' authorization, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) sought unanimous consent to bring the full-year reauthorization bill to the Senate floor for a vote.  The bill had been introduced the previous day by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT).  But under Senate procedural rules, a single Senator can object, and last night Republican Sen. Scott Brown objected -- blocking further consideration of the bill.

The effect will be to allow the federal unemployment insurance programs known as Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and the federally-funded Extended Benefits (EB) to begin to lapse just as the holiday season begins.  More than 2 million unemployed job-seekers and their families face the loss of unemployment benefits this month alone.  The Labor Department has reported that the total would reach 4 million jobless workers cut-off by the end of February unless the programs are reauthorized.

If this all sounds eerily familiar, it's because this is now the third time this year that Congressional obstruction and delays have caused the federal programs to lapse.  The last time was at the beginning of June, and it took nearly two months before Congress finally passed a retroactive reauthorization.  During that time 2.5 million jobless workers went without benefit payments until they were restored.

Without a full-year reauthorization of the federal unemployment insurance programs, it is estimated that as many as 7 million workers -- some currently unemployed and others yet-to-be laid off -- would be denied access to these essential benefits.

While they have blocked the reauthorization bill, Senate Republicans have nonetheless conceded that we need a year-long renewal of the federal unemployement insurance programs.  Unfortunately, they continue to advocate that millionaires get tax cuts that aren't offset, but that meager benefits for the unemployed must be offset by taking away money that would create jobs and aid our recovery.   Such bare hypocrisy should not rule the day, especially in a time of such national crisis.

A sampling of links to other coverage:

On Christmas, their cushion will vanish - Boston Globe

GOP blocks renewal of jobless benefits extension - Daily Kos

Millions to lose jobless benefits as holidays loom - MSNBC