NEW PLAN: 99ers must implore HELP and bombard Speaker Boehner & media non-stop now - continuing until such a time as the 99ers bill (HR589) passes the House.
With the shenanigans in Wisconsin last night, it is easy for Americans to feel their wants and needs are insignificant in the wake of the greedy, corrupt politicians - but never fear: WE MUST FIGHT ON & FIGHT HARDER.
We cannot survive on nothing and those who are fortunate enough to land a job are discovering that paying gig is not enough income to even sustain a life of poverty. [See: Democracy Dead in Wisconsin as US Jobless Claims at 20 Million Annual Pace ]
Even as Peter King (NY Congressman) wastes precious time and energy on his useless and controversial hearings on "radicalization" within the American Muslim community, the US unemployment exhaustees continue to suffer devastating poverty those in Washington choose to ignore.
However, according to the article by Crew of 42 yesterday, Lee + Scott Ask Boehner for Meeting on Unemployment Help:
Reps. Barbara Lee and Bobby Scott asked for a meeting with Speaker Boehner and reminded the new GOP Speaker and Majority Leader Cantor of unemployment in their states (OH, VA and MI) as they did so.The bigger issue: Is it at all possible the House GOP will “find” $16 billion in the budget for unemployment assistance? Whether any deal comes (or doesn’t come) under a pay-for agreement or an emergency designation in irrelevant. The process of this sausage (legislation) actually becoming reality will either be brought into reality by complaining constituents back home or it won’t.The bottom line is if House GOP members are returning to their districts and hearing the complaints of unemployed constituents on a regular basis that could tip the political scale. That is the only possible way House Republicans would make a way for a $16 billion budget allocation for unemployment assistance. A sure sign of altering political dynamics would be SpeakerBoehner or ML Cantor actually agreeing to a meeting on this issue. With the absence of political pressure and the White House completely absent from involvement on this issue (along with so many others…) a meeting would be surprising. “The unemployment rate does not discriminate…” Lee and Scott reminded Boehner. The unemployment rate in Ohio is 9.2%. In Michigan it is 10.6%. In Virginia it’s 6.4%.
The Huffington Post reported today: The Democrats in the House of Representatives who are pushing for additional jobless aid for the long-term unemployed say they are willing to compromise with Republican leadership on cutting spending from the budget to prevent the cost of new benefits from adding to the deficit.
In a Wednesday letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) wrote, "We want to work with you to identify how best to finance this legislation and ensure its swift passage."
Read the rest of this article House Dems Open To Compromise On 99ers Bill
In a Wednesday letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) wrote, "We want to work with you to identify how best to finance this legislation and ensure its swift passage."
Read the rest of this article House Dems Open To Compromise On 99ers Bill
The full letter to Boehner, Cantor and Rep. Dave Camp reads as follows:
Dear Speaker Boehner,
Majority Leader Cantor,
and Chairman Camp:
Once again we want to express our deep concern for the plight of millions of long-term unemployed workers across the country. Last week’s unemployment numbers reflect the harsh reality that still exists – while the economy is moving in the right direction, too many workers are still looking for jobs.
For every available job opening, there are 4.7 unemployed workers. And many of those workers have been unemployed for a year or longer. The unemployment rate does not discriminate – the challenges that our constituents face in our districts are just as difficult as the challenges that your constituents are facing in western Ohio, central Virginia and central Michigan. We all have a shared obligation to help our neediest and most vulnerable populations in their hour of greatest need.
The letter we sent you last month requested your assistance in extending emergency benefits for long-term unemployed workers who had exhausted their eligibility. In addition, we requested that these benefits be considered under the emergency designation of PAYGO spending rules, a provision that would exempt emergencies from these rules. We are disappointed that you disagreed with our belief that this is a true state of emergency for these workers.
As we outlined in our previous letter, we believe there is a strong moral and economic case to extend these emergency benefits. Economic experts believe that unemployment benefits provide a stimulative impact to our economy by helping to drive consumer spending. So not only is providing these benefits the right thing to do, but it is sound economic policy. To be clear, we maintain our position that this legislation deserves to exempt from PAYGO spending rules under the aforementioned emergency designation, but we are committed to exhausting every possible avenue to pass this bill. Adding an additional 14 weeks to the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program is estimated to cost up to $16 billion.
We want to work with you to identify how best to finance this legislation and ensure its swift passage. We request a meeting with you as soon as possible to discuss alternative ways to address the costs associated with H.R. 589, The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act. We hope that you share our urgent desire to move forward on passing this legislation.
There are dire consequences for millions of long-term unemployed workers who are fighting every day to make ends meet so they can support their families. It is time to get serious about taking care of our long-term unemployed workers who continue to suffer. We look forward to your response and are hopeful that we can meet with you in the near future to discuss the importance of this bill and our plan to pass it. Thank you for your time and consideration of this request.
— Reps. Barbara Lee + Bobby Scott
In my opinion, the Time is NOW for all unemployed Americans to put non stop pressure on the media, the House leadership and every one of our elected officials in our home district offices beginning TODAY and not letting up until we have Obama’s signature on a law that will provide badly needed and long overdue additional UI benefits for the millions of current 99ers and future 99ers alike.
EMAIL CONTACTS:
Dailyrundown@msnbc.com, speakerboehner@mail.house.gov, ed@edschultzshow.com
TWITTER:
@dailyrundown @chucktodd @SavannahGuthrie @maddow @wegoted @theedshow @edshow @alivelshi
For more political contacts see: http://twitter.com/paladinette/politicians/members
For more Media contacts see:
http://twitter.com/paladinette/news-media/members
Lets go people it is time we let them know beyond a doubt that we will no longer be ignored!
Lets go people it is time we let them know beyond a doubt that we will no longer be ignored!
