2010 Unemployment Extension Benefits and Standalone Discussions

The 2010 unemployment extension could be passed as a standalone measure.  The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 was voted down twice in the Senate, leaving many people wondering what is next in the world of unemployment.

The unemployment extension bill would keep the tiers 1-4 of emergency benefits in place for the over one million Americans who have exhausted their state benefits.  The first two tiers are available for all workers, with the final two available for those in the states hardest hit by the economy.

Some are calling for a standalone bill that would pass unemployment benefits without all the other provisions, such as the doc fix, COBRA reimbursement, and more.  Politicians all agree that something must be done to help the unemployed, but cannot agree on how to fund the measure.

If you pass the bill as a standalone measure, then the true cost will be more apparent to the country.  Adding tax or using stimulus money may become more agreeable if all of the money can be seen going to Americans, and not lumped together with a bunch of other initiatives.

Whether or not the unemployment extension measure will pass in the Senate as a standalone measure has yet to be seen. Something needs to be done to help the 900,000 and growing number of unemployed workers in America.

The Extenders bill failed 57-42 in the Senate, with no Republicans voting for the measure.  At least one would have voted for the bill in order for it to pass.