Another Unemployment Extension Update: As Lemieux Blocks Bill, 99ers Rally for Tier 5

The unemployment extension doesn’t look likely any time soon.  The tier 5 bill for the 99ers, aka Americans want to Work Act was not passed by Congress before they left. Although Senator Stabenow, the Bill’s sponsor, tried to bring the measure to the floor it was blocked by Senator LeMieux.


The republican Senator from Florida is not up for re-election, so his measure doesn’t threaten his job for now. He claims that the “spend as you go” tactics for trying to deal with the economy aren’t working.


There’s no funding source of the bill, and as such the senator claims that it is not wise to pass the legislation. The conservative Heritage Foundation has given reasons why the bill is not economically sound, including that many individuals find work right after their benefits expire.


Yeah, right. Try telling that to the millions of 99ers who have been without work for well over the 99 weeks of current benefits. 


The American 99ers Union is rallying along with the One Nation Working Together Rally at Washington, DC tomorrow.  The laundry list of wishes from ralliers includes better unemployment benefits and higher minimum wages. 


Will the turnout at the rally tomorrow inspire changes? That will be hard to tell, as the Senate will not re-convene until AFTER the mid-term elections. Hopefully, at that time the unemployment extensions measures will be passed.