Representatives Barbara Lee and Bobby Scott Meet with House Republican Leadership About Emergency Relief for the Long-Term Unemployed
April 14, 2011
Media Contact: Joel Payne, (202) 225-2661
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) continued the fight to pass HR 589, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act. Reps. Lee and Scott met today with Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), and discussed the possibility of bringing HR 589 to the House floor for a vote.
HR 589 extends emergency benefits to long-term unemployed workers by providing 14 weeks of emergency unemployment benefits to people who, while actively searching for employment, have exhausted all their benefits yet are still unemployed. Introduced in early February, HR 589 has not been considered by the Ways and Means Committee, the Committee with sole jurisdiction over the bill. The House Leadership has also not exercised its power to bring the bill directly to the floor of the House. Reps. Lee and Scott recently wrote a letter to the House Republican leadership on the issue, and that letter led to today’s meeting.“We had a productive meeting with the Speaker and the Majority Leader to discuss this critical issue of providing aid for long-term unemployed workers,” said Representative Barbara Lee. “With almost 5 unemployed workers for every available job, it would be unacceptable to allow millions of displaced workers who have exhausted their benefits to have no safety net to help make ends meet. Speaker Boehner encouraged us to work with the House Ways and Means Committee to move this bill forward, and while we will certainly do so, we maintain that these long-term unemployed workers deserve a floor vote now. Frankly, where there is a will there is a way, and we hope that the Republican leadership will show some serious will to move this vital effort forward.”
“In the past, Congress has designated unemployment insurance as emergency spending and has extended the program when the national unemployment rate is higher than 7.2%,” said Representative Bobby Scott. “Now we are at 8.8% nationally and for every new job opening there are almost 5 people who are unemployed. For the millions that are left behind, this assistance is desperately needed. Furthermore, last December we passed a tax package with about $42 billion in tax cuts for multimillionaires without requiring an offset. Now we are paying for this choice, and we are not prioritizing the assistance that families need. This is the message that we conveyed to Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor.”
Dear Barbara Lee,
I cannot tell you how much I/wee 99ers appreciate your support and perseverence – please don’t let up now. We have already lost our home and cars, and just recently all of our home belongings in a storage that we simply could not pay. I am 57 and it is very difficult to be optimistic – but somehow with fight I find it every day and know that their is beginning to be signs of hope in the job market. BUT, my entire family was hit VERY HARD with the closure of NUMMI and they cannot afford to keep providing my safety net. Tier 5 is so very critical to so many of us. I have 3 interview appointments scheduled for the next 2 weeks – the most I have had in 11 months – hopefully I will be blessed with Tier 5 and a job! … and the faith I need to start over from nothing again!
Please don’t give up on us!
God Bless You & America!
Ellen
Well now that the Tea Party PUKES won’t help cry baby Bonehead get his budget passed, perhape we can use HR 589 ar a trade off for Dem votes to help him……
Sorry for the TYPE-Os above. Should have read:
Well now that the Tea Party PUKES won’t help cry baby Bonehead get his budget passed, perhaps we can use HR 589 as a trade off for Dem votes to help him……
You’re kidding me,right? That’s it. All this time and they are now going to work with the NO WAYS AND JUST PLAIN MEAN committee. Let’s, please, have a moratorium on all things politically related to another extension.
All this time,it’s to late for me now, 1week, I will be apart of the homeless, but god is with me and I want fear, oneday I will be the man I use to be, just not today
Have you tried all the public resources available in your state? Because there are state programs that will help you pay rent, utilities, food, medical bills and provide free pre-paid cell phone. But it all depends on your situation. Knowing where and how to tap these resources could help you hold on a little longer. Maybe I could help guide you in some way.
Well isn’t this just great. How many more families are in the streets since December? Everything I hear is nothing but bull####. Why don’t these guys have a heart inplant so maybe, just maybe, they could have some compassion and not insult us with a 14 week extension. We need a bill that will protect us for the rest of the year. If you don’t have a job then you can’t eat. It just makes me sick that they would even mention 14 weeks. Sorry, Barbara and Billy — You may get your name out there but we want see any real help. I don’t think you give a crap. I don’t need your damn 14 week extension. But you better do something and do it fast cause we have almost reached our limit on begging.
Right on, Barbara !!
No ONE cares about us. This only a way for these two folks to get some cheap press. We waited all this time to hear something positive and all we got is some political double talk. It’s time we vote all of these folks out of office. In 2012 lets all vote Independent party, No matter who it is. Our current president is a joke. We someone like us to become the next president. It’s human nature to do the things that are important to us, This is simply not important to anyone but us. If ANYONE really things that lee and Scott give a crap about us i have some swap land i want to sell you.
Vote them out? Hell lets physically remove them now!!
My sentiments exactly, Bob !!
I don’t know about the rest of you good people, but the next elections are 18 months away, and I don’t think our country can survive another 18 months of this bullshit. They are all a bunch of fucking crooks and liars, and should be arrested, tried, convicted, and imprisoned for treason against The United States of America !!
Yep.
Ditto
I’m with you Barbara!
“Furthermore, last December we passed a tax package with about $42 billion in tax cuts for multimillionaires without requiring an offset.”
What the hell is she talking about? She is wrong by 358 million dollars. The rich got $400 billion in cuts!
http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/99ers-ask-why-billionaire-hedge-fund-tax-loopholes-400-billion-tax-cuts-for-the-rich/2195
Make that wrong by 358 billion dollars not 358 million. My mistake….
WE WILL VOTE OUT ANYONE THAT DOESN’T RECOGNIZE OUR STRUGGLE! HOW DARE ANY LEGISLATURE TAKE THEIR TIME WITH OUR LIFE AND SUPPORT WHILE OTHER STATES HAVE ACTUALLY MOVED MONTHS AGO TO GIVE THEIR CITIZENS SAFETY NETS OF EMERGENCY BENEFITS!!! LEARN FROM PAST REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE NOW OUT OF WORK FOR NOT CARING ABOUT THE PEOPLE! TAKE OUR LIVES SERIOUSLY OR WE WILL MAKE SURE YOU ARE UNEMPLOYED AT RE-ELECTION!!!
sorry folks when i posted my response i left out a few words and mispelled swamp. thats what happens when you type to fast.
Sadly, I believe that Lee & Scott are politically inept. I suspect at times that their actions are a charade. That, or they are clueless as to how to negotiate. Or they have no clout. They are not in a position to offer anything. From what I have been reading for months now, they needed to set the meeting, which took way too long. And they needed to go in there and offer a financial offset. Apparently, from the press release, they had nothing to offer. Just remember in the next few elections, where your representatives and senators stood on this issue.
True. They don’t have anything concrete to offer us. They get their kicks by manipulating our hopes and fears. Our salvation will come from a higher power and not from the glorified egos of man.
lets be frank…there are republicans & democrats in the 99er pool. we need our 14 week ext.
barack obama doesnt want it because it REBUKES his fake drop in unemployment statistics. but he is a 1 term president anyway. this is a WIN WIN for the house of reps because they will go over the big eared 1 term jerk in chief and PASS THIS EXT FOR US LAID OFF TAX PAYING AMERICAN 99ERS. lets face it ladies and gents we have no leadership in the white house. but atleast we have reps on the local level who will fight the good fight. i believe we (thedem and rep 99ers) (the american people) will get our extension.
lets stop fighting each other (DEMS VS REPUBS) . PLEASE STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER AND THROW BARACK OBAMA OUT OF OFFICE IN 2012 PLEASE!!!! please its not funny. our jobs need to come back. we need our country back. if not for us.. for our kids.
VOTE AGAINST OBAMA AND ELECT SOMEONE WHO WAS “”””””””””””BORN”””””””””””””
IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
Hi fellow 99ers, I am like many of you, have exhausted my benefits over a year ago and have sold everything to survive except for my soul to the devil. I blame both the Dumbocrats and Republican’ts for playing games with our lives. I am so sorry that we couln’t revolt like those people in the Middle-East because either we don’t have the guts or it’s out moral upbringings or maybe a little of both. I am so sorry that we the 99ers are becoming so destitute that we couldn’t afford to have a voice in this country but are invisible as well. I am so sorry that there are no jobs out there especially for old farts like myself, and am even sorrier that I used to be a Government employee for nearly 28 years working for Social Services and was once told by my immediate supervisor that I was weak for being such a compassionate person. Yes, I have helped thousands of needy people and still felt good doing it up until the day I had to quit my job (HR would not allow me to take a leave of absence to take care of a dying relative because they told me that a mother is not an immediate family member like a spouse or child?) to take care of my mother who had cancer and they later refused to rehire me back claiming that the County was out of money but somehow were able to later rehire a whole bunch of others who were either related to or have slept with the Big Shots. Think that the private sector is corrupt, then think again because the Government, our Government is the worst when it comes to corruption. I am so sorr—, aw just shut the F–k up ’cause I am beginnin’ ta sound like a whinin’ madman. That’s jest what you git fer gein’ a 99er fer too damn long, you lost everythin’ but gained a doggone second personality. Don’t haf money to go see a Psychia somethin’ and I’m gonna stay this way until HR 589 is passed with some dumb luck. Meanwhile, all you rich sonabitches and stinkin’ politicians bedder git outta ma way ’cause old crazy me is comin’ over to DC to slap some senses into your comatose pea brain. Hi, I’m back again and am terribly sorry for all the sarcastic comments made by my alter ego. Hope you all stay strong for the possible upcoming fight to keep hopes alive for all us 99ers.
This is the thing I want to thank Lee, and Scott for trying to help my friends and all 99ers but here it is they new they had to go in there with how to pay for it and they went in still trying to get the emergency payment.
They new that wasn’t going to work and did nothing to figure out how to pay for that which doesn’t tell me they are very serious about this they had so much time to have this together and we already knew about Republican’s it was a let’s throw out a bone so we don’t look as bad as many people think they look so it was really for nothing.
It’s a shame they choose not to help the 99er’s that are out there with nothing it’s like it is a game to everyone so once again let me apologize for our own Government!!
Rep. Lee came onto the floor of the House of Representatives and mentioned the 99ers. I was very happy to hear Barbara Lee bring forth her vision for us. God Bless her and I am more hopeful now that things can get moving.
In my humble opinion “actions speak louder than words”. Her vision for the 99ers will be to continue running this unemployment extension gravy train on us for as long as she can. Thats the only thing that will make her feel truly blessed. Judging from the things I’ve seen and know now, using God and Barbara Lee’s name in the same sentence would be blasphemy.
It’s her claime to fame.
Hi there again folks! Just think for a second, our President is black and he is trying to please everyone right now but ends up pleasing noone. How can two black Democratic Reps. in a house full of Republicans hope to get anything done with extending unemployment for the unknown 99ers. They had a shot last year when the Dumbocrats were the majority and blew it big time for us. Remember how Nancy Pepsi made fun of us? Let’s vote one of us 99ers into the presidential office comes 2012 and forget the rest of those scumbags for abandoning us. Wonder if Barbara Lee is somehow related to Bruce Lee? And as for her sidekick, is he related to the engineer Scotty from the original StarTrek? If they can accomplish their task of passing HR 589 in the next couple of years, I would be very surprised and wouldn’t hold my breath until then. Stay focus but be negative, very negative because things might just get a whole lot worse before it gets worser.
Amen! Halleluiah, I’ve see the light!
Henry…each time I come this site and see the caution sign heading I laugh. its so appropriate. thanks.
We all have to keep our sense of humor. “There’s a fine line between laughter and tears.”
I definitely prefer the laughter to the tears.
🙂
Too bad we’re all living “The Divine Comedy” right now.
I like so many need help now. At the end of the month I´ll be out on the street. One thing is for certain…next election I´m voting out republicans and democrats who dont support our cause
and have kicked us in the teeth when we most needed help. payback is a bitch.
I for one am amazed that Barbara and Scott were even allowed to speak on the floor about us 99ers. I guess they wanted to show us what a great country it is when even the low life’s get a chance to have their voices heard. Of course they have no intention of proceeding beyound that.
They used the buzz word 99ers on the Floor to alert their comrades in Congress and the Global Elite that they were successful in their mission to provide more false hope and continued attacks of deprivation against the unemployed/99ers as ordered. They will be handsomely rewarded in return for their loyalty.
Dear representatives Lee and Scott, We do appreciate any help or attention brought to our fight but for some reason all news outlets and politicians seem to avoid the truth about the real numbers because when one adds up all of the unemployed and underemployed numbers including all of the weekly increasing 99ers dropping off and no longer counted the real unemployment percentage is much higher and grimmer than they would want to let the general public know!!!!
Phil…they know. “the best lie is the the one you can’t prove.” This is their trump card.
It’s nice to hear that someone’s trying to do something. It’d be nice if that was enough. But it isn’t. This whole situation – politicians not caring about Americans with no jobs – has gotten so far out of hand, it’s hard for me to imagine that it’s even fixable. I ran out of benefits in June of last year. I’ve lost my apartment, and am on General Relief and food stamps which, because of Paul Ryan, are going to be taken away, as well. Apparently, it’s perfectly all right with these idiots that we not only become homeless but we starve, too! Who voted for these morons? We can’t afford to wait until the next elections and hope people vote the Independent party. These crooked, heartless politicians have to be removed NOW! Come on, America, let’s start marching in the streets. I’ll be doing that on Monday in Pasadena, CA. If we have to turn into Egypt to get some action, let’s DO IT!
BTW, I’m a 61 year old woman with no family. I’m on my own. I was a technical writer (for VERY good money). A few weeks ago I actually applied for work as a sign twirler, for $8 an hour. That’s how bad it is out there. BELIEVE IT!
We’re all in the same boat. Be Strong!
Respectfully, i read Henrys words like an addict lol,,, 10 x a day…
My concern, why is it we can count the posters on 10 fingerz and a toe..
arent there millionnz of uz…
why is it that i live in a huge metropolis without ever bumping into 1 protesting 99er…
i live in chicago… nothing ….never saw one!
my brother in Fla. never saw 1….
never saw one on the local news either….
99ers are looked upon as folk who cant even do whats necessary to be noticed let alone
make a difference in an elective vote…
make signs organize and get out in the street at rush hour, the news would have no choice but to cover it.
they could care less of our talk of voting thier ass out… they know its just talk judgin by the way we act on our own behalf. talk talk talk no action…
Big Hank Tonkan, I sometimes wonder about that myself. How come noone knows anything about the 99ers? I came to a conclusion it is because for decades, starting with the American Depression, we have all seen black and white pictures of the unemployed standing in line to receive free food. The unemployed Americans from back then until present day represent the darkest days of our history, things people really don’t want to see, discuss or admit of its reality. The unemployed are classified as born losers or bums of society, therefore can you really blame a 99er for not showing his or her face in public? Our Government has certified us as legal beggars, need I say more? We first have to prove to ourselves that we are not criminals, not lazy, and it was not our fault that we are in this situation, then we can hold our heads high and tell the nation of our plight without feeling ashamed or guilty of being a burden to society. Most of us were professionals, hard working Americans who, through no fault of our own, have lost our jobs then end up losing just about everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! Many of us have lost all hopes and are now dying in numbers (not always by suicide but for lack of medical attention, some were attacked by other homeless people and cops, others end up doing stupid and desperate things by breaking the law in order to survive) but the majority of the 99ers are too proud to stand up for ourselves and that’s a shame. They use the divide and conquer tactic to control us like animals and we took the bait. We have noone to blame except ourselves and our empty pockets(no money = nobody). So the question is what are we willing to do about it besides calling, faxing, yadda, yadda to the corrupted politicians which were proven to be ineffective in getting things done for the 99ers. We all agree that we need to take actions because words are cheap and produce nada! What about getting in contact with someone like Oprah? I am sure that it has been suggested before but we now need national exposure but can’t afford the media. C’mon people, let’s start a movement or something to break this invisible barrier that is holding us back and preventing us from telling the nation of our suffering. Let’s start small by telling your friends, relatives and neighbours that we, the 99ers, are not players for that professional football team from San Francisco, nor are we into kinky sexual positions, but are Americans who are still waiting for the damn GOP to deliver us the jobs that were promised during the last election. The truth is that the Republican’ts and Dumbocrats are in cahoots in order to force us 99ers to take over the jobs of the illegals so that they can kill two birds with just a single kidney stone.
I hate to say it, but I don’t think this bill will ever pass. We are only being played by congress. I’ve sat here and read all of these posts and if they were really concerned about the unemployed then they would do something. Nope, again they are out of session until May. I can no longer support a Government that will allow their own to go hungry and homeless while they support another country. I say we impeach the President on down. These people that we voted in to help us are hurting us. Get rid of them all and make them homeless. It’s time for us as taxpayers to take back our government and rights.
I blame Bush for starting this whole crappy mess and Obama for keeping us in it. We 99ers are the living proof of their failed domestic policies to lead the American people back to prosperity. I blame Congress for everything else that is happening to the 99ers! I hate both the right and left extremists for screwing this wonderful country of ours! We all know that HR 589 is just a ploy to temporary shut us up because they know that our numbers are growing in the millions with each passing month. Could it be that they are worried that the truth would someday be revealed to how they have repeatedly lied to the American public for years about the true unemployment ratet? Shame on you Mr. President, and shame on all you dirty politicians for committing crimes against your own people! Don’t be a hypocrite for condemning countries like China, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Obama… oops! The last one wasn’t really the name of a country but is just as bad as the rest of those countries which do not believe in basic human rights. We 99ers are Americans too, and we have the same rights under the American Constitution and if you disagree with me, then I will send all my fellow 99ers to pay you a very unfriendly visit! Good night to all.
Former Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania,had it right.He said we have become a country of wusses.We 99ers get on these sites and write and complain,but it falls on deaf ears.You really think the politicians read these comments.They don’t. They don’t give a dam.
The only thing they will understand is if they see thousands of us 99ers march down Pennsylvania Ave in Washington DC.Other then that we will be ignored.Time to get off our asses and did something.