Seven thousand Americans per day are losing their unemployment benefits. Four hundred thousand lost their benefits in September and some 1.4 million Americans will lose unemployment benefits by the end of the year if nothing changes. Unable to find new jobs and having run out of benefits, they become untethered and drift off into our "jobless recovery".
A month ago now, the House passed a $1.4B bill extending unemployment insurance by up to 13 weeks in high unemployment states and the Senate was expected to quickly follow suit. Anyone expecting some sense of urgency from the Senate would be very disappointed. Here's Sen. Jon Kyl (R- Ariz) in early October:
"I have no doubt that [at] the appropriate time we'll be able to work out some kind of agreement, but our side is going to need some time to look at it."
I've been critical, even openly derisive, about the Tea Party movement. I still think there's a component of the movement that's, frankly, stupid and racist. But I suspect, and am really beginning to understand that there's some portion of those folks that are justifiably frustrated and angry at what seems a complacency on the governments part, a disregard for the problems of regular Americans.
I just can't imagine the bitterness I would feel if I was unable to provide health insurance to my family and listened to some Senator wringing their hands over whether I had a "right" to affordable health care. Or the anger I would experience as my last unemployment check is due and I read Sen. Kyl's comment that Republicans in the Senate will consider extending benefits at some "appropriate time".
There's a powerful political coalition that could be built here. I suspect the first party or person that successfully taps into it will become a very powerful force.
What's so bitterly ironic to me is the amount of time being spent on healthcare reform- important, to be sure- while hundreds of thousands of people come close to getting sick from malnourishment, lack of heat and/or power in the house and the inability to buy even a bottle of aspirin- because their unemployment benefits have run out! Add to that the psychological damage caused by unemployment and the very real illnesses which can spring from stress, and you have a healthcare pandemic no amount of reform is going to cure.
Priorities, Congress.
Thanks for keeping this in spotlight.
Posted by: Liz Elliott | October 23, 2009 at 04:17 AM
This is the time for a third party to be born out of the conceit and arrogance of both parties. This can not be a party about socialism, communism or fascism since they do not work. This can not be a party about special interests on the right or left. This party should give a moratorium to those interests for ten years and instead focus on two things only, jobs for all americans that want one and helping small businesses grow. This party does not even have to exist longer than twenty years as long as it makes the other parties change during this time period. Finally, we should stop thinking externally about other nations and their problems and think internally about the problems of America and its citizens.
Posted by: Joe Parreira | October 25, 2009 at 01:54 PM
It's nearly a week later and still no action.
Posted by: Jay McDonough | October 26, 2009 at 05:32 PM