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thoughtful Thursday &some News


The President Obama will deliver an address at American University, hopefully giving Americans a clear plan for immigration reform that affects an estimated 11 million people who live in the U.S. undocumented. Reports are that Obama met with lawmakers this week to discuss a strategy for passing immigration reform but as we, all know other things have been happening and have taken his eye off immigration. We all know that immigration has been an issue that most people try to avoid; it also affects certain parts of our economy. Another fact is that elections are coming; and it would be in our President’s interest and for the rest of us if he finally addresses immigration in a way that can move us toward progress not exclusion like Republicans seem to want to do and require of their party members.  We need a new but comprehensive way for people to live and work just as all Americans want and strive for their own families. Apparently, Senator Coburn felt some folks more than others deserve to be free and strive for a better way of life. I for one do not want to go back to the days when women and minorities were expected to be seen not heard and failed to have rights like the white men who liked to control every aspect of people’s lives.

If anyone was listening or watching the Elena Kagan hearings yesterday, it was again another eye opening moment of what seemed to be racist behavior by senator Coburn. It went from asking about her background to what seemed like an attack on women that was then followed by an attack on people of colour and thank goodness, Senator Amy Klobuchar decided to not just challenge the comments she definitely schooled this man as well as the public who happened to be tuned in. It was one of many moments in this hearing that have been made a stage for comments filled with vitriol, Republican talking points,  just rude behavior on so many levels and so offensive to anyone who vaguely believes in compassion or true freedom for Americans.

Other News …

**Toyota: over 270thou faulty engines

**reports from cnn are that immigration advocates will use a strategy for comprehensive immigration and that is to challenge Republicans to come on board

C-SPAN …

watch Pres. Obama on Immigration

Panel Presses Goldman & AIG on Relationship During Financial Crisis

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission continues its investigation into the 2008 Financial Crisis with a second day of testimony on how the institution used derivatives within the market and when they were used during 2007-2008. Witnesses include current and former executives of Goldman Sachs and AIG, as well as the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The financial crisis panel was created by Congress and is due to report its findings this December. Former California Treasurer Phil Angelides serves as chairman.

Questioning Wraps Up for Supreme Court Nominee

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan finished her last day of questioning on Wednesday. Over the past two days Ms. Kagan was challenged over her treatment of military recruiters while dean of Harvard Law School, and asked to share her perspective on gun rights. When questioned on the subject of partial-birth abortion, Kagan described it as “an incredibly difficult issue.”Read More »

Outside witness testimony will begin Thursday afternoon at 4pm following the U.S. Senate’s adjournment for the arrival of Sen. Robert Byrd’s casket on Capitol Hill. These witness panels will include those both in favor of and opposed to Kagan’s nomination.The Committee hopes to approve her nomination and hold a floor vote in late July. If confirmed, she would replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens and become the fourth woman in the Supreme Court’s history.

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Obama’s immigration speech -Thursday morn 7:30amPST


Reform Immigration FOR America

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Tell us what you want to hear President Obama say when he talks about immigration tomorrow!

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On Thursday morning, at 7:30 AM PST , President Obama will be making a major speech on immigration. He’ll be outlining what it will take for the federal government to fix our broken system.

What do you want to hear the president say tomorrow? Stop by our blog and let us know what you think President Obama should say tomorrow morning.

This movement has always been about you – your lives, your families, your hopes and dreams, your personal reasons for working for comprehensive immigration reform. Your voice makes us strong, and your words make this fight matter.

We’ll be live-blogging the speech tomorrow morning. Tell us what you want to hear President Obama say when he talks about immigration at 7:30 AM PST tomorrow.

Thank you,
Marissa Graciosa
Reform Immigration FOR America
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UNDER THE RADAR

ETHICS — GAO STUDY FINDS BUSH ADMINISTRATION ‘BURROWED’ POLITICAL APPOINTEES: A recent study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals “seven instances of improper burrowing — political appointees shifting to career civil servant positions in a given agency — during the Bush Administration.” In several cases, the GAO found that agencies followed improper procedures in personnel practices by hiring “former political appointees who appeared to have limited qualifications and/or experience to the career positions.” One case indicates that the Department of Justice placed a political appointee in a career position “despite unfavorable recommendations from interviewing officials.” The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Treasury both hired political appointees “who lacked the specialized experience for the position.” While none of these seven transitions occurred near the 2008 presidential election, it is not the first time such “eyebrow-raising” career conversions have occurred under the Bush administration. Between March and November, 2008, the Bush administration “burrowed” at least 20 political appointees into career civil service posts, “initially depriving President-elect Obama of the chance to install his appointees in key jobs.” The New York Times previously reported that in the month after the 2008 election, President Bush “made roughly 30 personnel moves…some in nominations that will require Senate approval, and others in direct appointments that will last well into President-elect Barack Obama’s term and beyond.” Critics argue that converting unqualified political appointees to career positions can have an indelible, profound effect on not only an agency’s credibility and quality, but also its forthcoming policy. In a memo from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) last November, director John Berry announced agencies “must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level.”

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weary Wednesday &some News you might not know about


Today, we are in a  We the People moment from now on … choice needs to be made by us; do we let Republicans continue saying No to the things that will help fix what brought us to a near depression … or

Who would you vote for most -a Political Party who has outed themselves as Corporatist or one with the Democratic ideology and belief of the Constitution. The choice is an easy one if you just remind yourself of the events prior to the 2008 Presidential Elections and the choices we had, an old  guy who definitely served his country in a great way but seemed out of touch, a little creepy and when our economy was tanking he said,” our system was fundamentally sound” top that off with his VP choice who most sane people on both side of the aisle agree was completely unqualified to be considered our next President if anything happened to the old guy let alone the Vice President.

My take  -Republicans are now completely responsible for all negative effects our economy incurs from here on. People may want to ask why? it is because after repeated efforts to pass any jobs bill for homeless Vets, ui benefits, home buyer tax extensions, Republicans have voted them down, now 1.2 or more people will be out on the street. It is my opinion that any jobs numbers announced by Cable heads, The Media, Radio or Newspapers are solely because of the inaction of Republicans to continue to stimulate the economy and help people who are under employed or unemployed due to the financial crash of 2008.

Today, The President will be in Wisconsin for another town meeting, talk about our economic recovery as well as answering questions about recover and hopefully good questions about what he intends to do about Republicans who continue to just say No.

I resent every Republican who has made negative comments about the people out of work people on Social Security, our Homeless Vets as well and their willingness to outsource jobs is just offensive. We need to update, reform and move forward into the 21st Century not go backward, as Republicans obviously want.  If the public is listening and or watching now know where Republicans stand and or maybe remind them what has gone on with Republicans, what with all the stalling, blocking and just say no to any and everything needed to put America back on track.

In addition,  General Patreus is being confirmed and  taking over the military effort in Afghanistan, while Elena Kagan is getting abused, I mean questioned for the third day, the Supreme Court confirmation and hearing process has been an eye opener given the things Republicans have said about Thurgood Marshall, the activist Judge label they gave her and Judge Marshall has been offensive and was meant as a bad thing. I would have to say my response would be to ask Senator Sessions tell everyone who Citizens United is and what exactly they do for your party.

More recently, sadly after Senator Byrd died the reform bill was pulled because a Republican named Scott Brown put up a fuss so Democrats agreed to pull it and hopefully adjust it adequately enough to be voted into law and major financial reform finally happening for Americans today.

My 2nd rant today is this…

Pundits, the Media the GOP will say the President numbers are due to not being able to get the employment numbers down the GOP thinks people will blame our Democratic Party and or our President. It is a time to stop being fooled, any and all negative numbers coming in from now can be attributed to Republicans just say no attitude though Congress leaders are required to do the peoples business. It is clear Republicans are not doing the peoples business but trying to make this President fail but are Republicans just unable to understand that if this President fails all of America fails, our economy goes back to how it was before January 20, 2008. As Americans, we voted them into office but apparently, the GOP decided after the 2008 elections that the only way to move Democrats out of office is to crucify, target and ruin the President whenever possible. In my opinion, this President has accomplished much more than the last guy did and it was for the rich or We the People not for a select few. The Democratic Party with the exception of a couple of Conservadems has tried and is still trying to move Americans into the 21st Century. The constant votes of no regarding any and all legislation that should help all Americans including Health care reform, Climate and Clean Energy and now the Jobs Bill, which according to many in Congress has let other important legislation stack up. Unfortunately, even our own Democratic Party seemed to have felt it is time to move on,  we all know they are tired, have done what they can to get the extensions needed to keep stimulating our economy but it is obvious that is what Republicans want, it’s a great move because they have made our Democrats in the Senate tired. Again, I ask the public to not be fooled if the extensions are voted down again and the people that need to be held accountable is Republicans please do not allow media heads, other politicians, fox news, msnbc anyone make you believe this is the President’s fault.

The day Congress announced they had to move on was the day Republicans became the sole group responsible for any and all negative effects their No Votes will have on homeless Vets, Outsourcing jobs away from America. In addition, there will be 1.2 million people who will no longer be stimulating the economy because they have nothing coming in from anywhere because there are no jobs out there. I ask everyone to think about the domino effect that is coming if the UI benefits extensions continue to be voted down by Republicans. I feel what will happen is the creation of the new poor consisting of not just the real poor but also the middle class, those of us that work all their lives who have a certain amount taken out of their checks in order to live on at the end of their work lives. These are the people Jon Boehner, Bachmann and mostly all Republicans talk about, those who receive entitlements should be slashed and used to pay for wars, raise the retirement age to 70 and those that are wealthy should not get benefits at all as reported in a Pittsburgh Newspaper interview, though Boehner people deny the statements, there is a video. In response to Boehner, House Democratic Whip James Clyburn stated, “Boehner and the GOP want to raise the retirement age to pay for Bush’s war and their failed policies of the past.” Fortunately, for us Mr. Clyburn said, “Democrats will not stand for this.” Moreover, House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi has a fact sheet to go to for information.

The bottom line is this … our population is getting older but living longer and learning to say healthier. The idea of raising the retirement age appears to be something no one can avoid and it is a bipartisan issue, which led to a bipartisan commission appointed by President Obama to find ways to reduce the debt and deficit are considering raising the age to 70. Currently, you have options to retire and receive partial payback or stay in the workforce until your reach full retirement age, which btw is different for everyone or continue until age 70 and get even more money. It is something that might be inevitable and in these times of, we just might have to accept the changes but the suggestion to slash it or end Social Security is not an option that should be considered. I think if the options to stay in at three different levels as they have now people will accept and go on with life. The problems we are having with our economy is because the last guy did nothing to update adjust or change our system with reforms, now most people do need to work longer to recoup money lost from bets made with worker investments in stocks that seemed to be meant to fail. I can accept raising the retirement age but I do not agree with anything that is even close to privatizing it; who can trust Republican ideas -they believe in Corporations not providing for the people who pay their salaries.

Other News …

“The recession has directly hit more than half of the nation’s working adults, pushing them into unemployment, pay cuts, reduced hours at work or part-time jobs, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.” Nearly half of the survey’s respondents said “they are in worse financial shape as a result of the downturn, which destroyed 20 percent of Americans’ wealth.”TP

House Democrats have attached $10 billion to the long-stalled war funding bill “to help local school districts avoid teacher layoffs when schools reopen.” The $70 billion bill “is anchored by President Barack Obama’s $30 billion request for the troop surge in Afghanistan and contains money for disaster aid accounts, foreign aid and disability benefits for Vietnam veterans.”TP

Foreclosed homes accounted for nearly a third of all home sales in the first three months of 2010, according to new data from foreclosed property marketer RealtyTrac, Inc. During 2009 alone, 1.2 million property sales dealt with foreclosures. “That number boggled my mind,” said RealtyTrac spokesman Rick Sharga, referring to the jump in foreclosures. “A 2,500% increase over a four-year period surprised even us.”TP

Although nearly every GOP lawmaker has vowed to repeal health care reform, only 30 House Republicans have “actually signed the discharge petition calling for such a repeal.” The petition, if signed by 218 members, would force a vote on repeal. But so far, the measure introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and pushed by the Heritage Foundation’s new political group has fallen very short.TP

C-SPAN …

watch Hearing on Arlington Cemetery

watch Senate Confirmation Hearing: Part One watch Senate Confirmation Hearing: Part Two

watch Conference Committee


Kagan: People Need to trust the Court as Non-Political

The confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan continues today with more questions from Senate Judiciary Committee members. Beginning with a line of questioning by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ms. Kagan defined the relationship of politics to the Supreme Court. She stated, “the people need to trust the court as a non-political body.” Read More »

The nominee then answered questions from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on legal judgment at the Supreme Court level as “not a robotic quality with no judgment in the process.”

Outside witness testimony was scheduled for Thursday, but due to events surrounding the death of Sen. Robert Byrd, the committee schedule is uncertain. The committee hopes to vote out her nomination in July with a Senate floor vote in late July. If confirmed, she would replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens who served his last day on the Supreme Court yesterday.

Commission Questions the Extent of AIG and Goldman Sachs Contribution to the Financial Crisis

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission has begun a two-day hearing on “The Role of Derivatives in the Financial Crisis,”. They will hear testimony from current and former executives from AIG and Goldman Sachs including former AIG executive Joseph Cassano and Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohn.

The congressionally appointed panel is looking into the ties between the two companies and how their derivatives transactions may have contributed to the financial crisis.

CBO Presents Budget Outlook to President’s Debt Commission

The Presidential Commission charged with finding bipartisan solutions to lowering the nation’s trillion-dollar budget deficit met for the third time since April.

The group heard from Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Doug Elmendorf who presented CBO’s 2010 long term budget outlook which was released earlier today. In remarks, Dir. Elmendorf said that if no changes took place, federal spending on health related programs will grow from 5% of GDP today to 10% of GDP in 2035 which at current rates is an increase of spending of $700B dollars.

The commission is co-chaired by former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles. Its non-binding recommendations are due in December.

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An Ant Hurts An Elephant … ThinkProgress.org


With millions of Americans unemployed, the nation struggling to recover from the greatest financial crisis in decades, and “job creation and economic growth” top priorities for the public, President Obama is poised to sign landmark financial regulatory reform meant to ensure the country won’t ever face these same dire problems in the future. MSNBC points to the legislation as a “reminder about how much the White House and the Democratic-controlled Congress have done in the past year and a half. … You can’t say this is a Do-Nothing Congress.” As the Center for American Progress’ Pat Garofalo explains, “There were many reasons for the economic collapse of 2008…but chief among them was a financial system that worked in the interests of Wall Street and too-big-to-fail financial institutions, and against the interests of consumers.” While not perfect, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act would work to improve disclosure, protect consumers, reform the derivatives market, and regulate the riskiest practices of the nation’s biggest banks. Now that final passage is near, however, many Republicans — spouting rhetoric about wanting reform but unwilling to help pass anything that Obama has made a priority — are getting cold feet about voting against the interests of Wall Street.

LOOKING OUT FOR WALL STREET: On Friday, the conference committee reconciling the House and Senate versions of financial regulatory reform legislation approved final language (along a party-line vote) after a marathon 20-hour negotiating session. Lawmakers made a flurry of changes, including the addition of an exemption to the Volcker rule — a ban on banks trading for their own benefit with federally insured dollars — added at the behest of Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), and a weakening of Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s (D-AR) provision requiring banks to spin-off their derivatives trading desks. However, the final bill retained Lincoln’s language requiring exchanges and clearinghouses for derivatives, as well as a provision that compels banks to hold more capital against losses. Unfortunately, Republicans decided they were not yet done making changes. Yesterday, negotiators had to briefly reopen conference proceedings “after Senate Republicans who had supported an earlier version of the measure threatened to block final approval unless Democrats removed a proposed tax on big banks and hedge funds.” Maine GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe had announced that they would be joining Brown — whose campaign received heavy support from Wall Street — in voting against the reform bill because it imposes a $19 billion fee on the biggest financial firms to cover the cost of the law’s implementation. But as Mother Jones’ Kevin Drum noted, the bank fee is “not there to punish banks or to create a slush fund for new spending. It’s there solely to make the bill deficit neutral.” Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) challenged the Republican hold-outs to find some other way to pay for the bill. “Do they want to add to the deficit?” he asked, calling these peacocks out on their deficit hypocrisy. “Is there another way? What’s their other way?” To appease these Republicans, the conference committee yesterday agreed to eliminate the bank tax and “bring an early end to the Troubled Asset Relief Program,” which would free up about $11 billion to pay for the bill. Every single Republican on the committee voted against this measure, instead opting to add to the deficit and put taxpayers on the hook for the legislation.

COMPARING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS TO A POOR LITTLE ‘ANT’: Brown, Collins, and Snowe haven’t been Wall Street’s only defenders on Capitol Hill in recent days. Perhaps the industry’s greatest ally has been House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH). In a recent interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Boehner blasted Democrats for everything from health care reform and the BP oil spill response to financial reform. “They’re snuffing out the America that I grew up in,” Boehner said, adding, “There’s a political rebellion brewing, and I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it since 1776.” Taking up the GOP agenda of defending big business at all costs, he even compared the financial crisis to a poor little “ant.” Speaking of the financial reform bill, he said, “This is killing an ant with a nuclear weapon.” “An ant, Mr. Boehner? It was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression — Americans lost 8 million jobs and $17 trillion in retirement savings and net worth,” responded a staffer to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “The irresponsible fiscal policies of George W. Bush and Congressional Republicans were much bigger than an ant to American workers, their families and small businesses.” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called Boehner “completely out of touch with America.” The Progress Report caught up with Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and asked him about Boehner’s comments. He said that he “basically agree[d]” with his GOP colleague.

BLOCKING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: Senate Democrats tried and failed on three separate occasions this month to pass a tax extenders bill that included an extension of expired unemployment benefits. Republicans, along with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), killed it by threatening a filibuster, potentially forcing states to cut 200,000 jobs, putting in jeopardy health and education programs, and denying benefits to 1.2 million out-of-work Americans. As a result, as Garofalo notes, Senate Democrats whittled the bill down to appease the GOP and “subjected more and more of the bill to spending offsets, ultimately leaving just the jobless benefits extension unpaid for.” While Republicans still refused to budge, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) — who joined the filibuster threat all three times — is now advocating for a benefits-only bill, even if it adds to the deficit. “Of course, passing a stand-alone bill neglects all the other important provisions that were in the extenders bill, including COBRA subsidies to help laid-off workers purchase health insurance and aid to states to help them with their Medicaid bills,” adds Garofalo. “Failing to pass such measures is only going to add to the economic misery that Snowe at least seems aware is occurring.” There are currently 15 million Americans unemployed, and almost half of them have been out of work for at least six months — a post-World War II record. The House plans to vote on extending unemployment benefits again today, after an attempt to do so was blocked by 139 Republicans and 16 Democrats yesterday.

With millions of Americans unemployed, the nation struggling to recover from the greatest financial crisis in decades, and “job creation and economic growth” top priorities for the public, President Obama is poised to sign landmark financial regulatory reform meant to ensure the country won’t ever face these same dire problems in the future. MSNBC points to the legislation as a “reminder about how much the White House and the Democratic-controlled Congress have done in the past year and a half. … You can’t say this is a Do-Nothing Congress.” As the Center for American Progress’ Pat Garofalo explains, “There were many reasons for the economic collapse of 2008…but chief among them was a financial system that worked in the interests of Wall Street and too-big-to-fail financial institutions, and against the interests of consumers.” While not perfect, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act would work to improve disclosure, protect consumers, reform the derivatives market, and regulate the riskiest practices of the nation’s biggest banks. Now that final passage is near, however, many Republicans — spouting rhetoric about wanting reform but unwilling to help pass anything that Obama has made a priority — are getting cold feet about voting against the interests of Wall Street.

LOOKING OUT FOR WALL STREET: On Friday, the conference committee reconciling the House and Senate versions of financial regulatory reform legislation approved final language (along a party-line vote) after a marathon 20-hour negotiating session. Lawmakers made a flurry of changes, including the addition of an exemption to the Volcker rule — a ban on banks trading for their own benefit with federally insured dollars — added at the behest of Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), and a weakening of Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s (D-AR) provision requiring banks to spin-off their derivatives trading desks. However, the final bill retained Lincoln’s language requiring exchanges and clearinghouses for derivatives, as well as a provision that compels banks to hold more capital against losses. Unfortunately, Republicans decided they were not yet done making changes. Yesterday, negotiators had to briefly reopen conference proceedings “after Senate Republicans who had supported an earlier version of the measure threatened to block final approval unless Democrats removed a proposed tax on big banks and hedge funds.” Maine GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe had announced that they would be joining Brown — whose campaign received heavy support from Wall Street — in voting against the reform bill because it imposes a $19 billion fee on the biggest financial firms to cover the cost of the law’s implementation. But as Mother Jones’ Kevin Drum noted, the bank fee is “not there to punish banks or to create a slush fund for new spending. It’s there solely to make the bill deficit neutral.” Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) challenged the Republican hold-outs to find some other way to pay for the bill. “Do they want to add to the deficit?” he asked, calling these peacocks out on their deficit hypocrisy. “Is there another way? What’s their other way?” To appease these Republicans, the conference committee yesterday agreed to eliminate the bank tax and “bring an early end to the Troubled Asset Relief Program,” which would free up about $11 billion to pay for the bill. Every single Republican on the committee voted against this measure, instead opting to add to the deficit and put taxpayers on the hook for the legislation.

COMPARING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS TO A POOR LITTLE ‘ANT’: Brown, Collins, and Snowe haven’t been Wall Street’s only defenders on Capitol Hill in recent days. Perhaps the industry’s greatest ally has been House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH). In a recent interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Boehner blasted Democrats for everything from health care reform and the BP oil spill response to financial reform. “They’re snuffing out the America that I grew up in,” Boehner said, adding, “There’s a political rebellion brewing, and I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it since 1776.” Taking up the GOP agenda of defending big business at all costs, he even compared the financial crisis to a poor little “ant.” Speaking of the financial reform bill, he said, “This is killing an ant with a nuclear weapon.” “An ant, Mr. Boehner? It was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression — Americans lost 8 million jobs and $17 trillion in retirement savings and net worth,” responded a staffer to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “The irresponsible fiscal policies of George W. Bush and Congressional Republicans were much bigger than an ant to American workers, their families and small businesses.” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called Boehner “completely out of touch with America.” The Progress Report caught up with Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and asked him about Boehner’s comments. He said that he “basically agree[d]” with his GOP colleague.

BLOCKING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: Senate Democrats tried and failed on three separate occasions this month to pass a tax extenders bill that included an extension of expired unemployment benefits. Republicans, along with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), killed it by threatening a filibuster, potentially forcing states to cut 200,000 jobs, putting in jeopardy health and education programs, and denying benefits to 1.2 million out-of-work Americans. As a result, as Garofalo notes, Senate Democrats whittled the bill down to appease the GOP and “subjected more and more of the bill to spending offsets, ultimately leaving just the jobless benefits extension unpaid for.” While Republicans still refused to budge, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) — who joined the filibuster threat all three times — is now advocating for a benefits-only bill, even if it adds to the deficit. “Of course, passing a stand-alone bill neglects all the other important provisions that were in the extenders bill, including COBRA subsidies to help laid-off workers purchase health insurance and aid to states to help them with their Medicaid bills,” adds Garofalo. “Failing to pass such measures is only going to add to the economic misery that Snowe at least seems aware is occurring.” There are currently 15 million Americans unemployed, and almost half of them have been out of work for at least six months — a post-World War II record. The House plans to vote on extending unemployment benefits again today, after an attempt to do so was blocked by 139 Republicans and 16 Democrats yesterday.