Sen. Bunning Stalls Jobless Benefits Bill
Sen. Jim Bunning was not a popular man among his Democratic colleagues this week. The Kentucky Republican, apparently so concerned about the federal budget deficit that he thought it unwise to allow the passage of legislation extending unemployment and health care help to jobless Americans, enacted a "one-man filibuster," as the Los Angeles Times put it, and didn't budge on Friday.
Sen. Jim Bunning was not a popular man among his Democratic colleagues this week. The Kentucky Republican, apparently so concerned about the federal budget deficit that he thought it unwise to allow the passage of legislation extending unemployment and health care help to jobless Americans, enacted a “one-man filibuster,” as the Los Angeles Times put it, and he didn’t budge by Friday afternoon despite the outrage coming at him from the other side of the aisle. –KA
Dig, Root, GrowLos Angeles Times:
The programs are set to expire at midnight Sunday, and the Senate’s inaction could delay payments.
Democratic and Republican leaders had agreed to pass a one-month extension through a process known as unanimous consent, in which no formal vote was required. But Bunning’s objection means the bill can’t go forward. The extension had been passed by the House and was ready to be signed into law.
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