For several weeks H.R. 3548 has been at a stand still in the Senate. In the meanwhile, 7,000 unemployed lose their benefits everyday. In September 400,000 people lost their unemployment benefits, and by the end of October another 208,000 will lose their's. Considering there are six unemployed workers for each job opening, regardless of whether people want to work, there's not enough jobs out there. People are not worried; they're desperate. Many have recieved eviction notices or mortgage foreclosures, and they just don't know where to turn anymore.

It's not a problem with the terms of the bill or funding as much as it is certain senators wanting to add unrelated amendments to the bill. The unemployments benefits would be paid for by extending 0.2% of the FUTA tax through 2011 instead of expiring in 2010. According to Washingtonwatch.com, every family in the U.S. will spend about $24 to support the unemployment extension. However, finally Americans can see some progress made in the Senate today. The Senate reached a majority vote, 87 to 13, on the motion to invoke cloture to proceed to consideration. A cloture limits the debate on a bill to thirty hours.

Before the vote, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Benjarmin Cordin (D-MA), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) all gave fantastic speeches on why H.R. 3548 should be passed. I was especially impressed with Senator Byron Dorgan. You could tell he was visibly frustrated with some of the Senator's shenanigans over the past couple of weeks.

In contrast, there were still resistant, stubborn Senators. The Senators who voted nay are: Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY), Senator Thomas Coburn (R-OK), Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE), Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), and Senator Micheal Enzi (R-WY).

To refresh your memory, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) were senators that objected when the Senate tried to vote on the bill before. This time Senator Kyl voted aye, and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) voted no.

In an articled called Friend or Foe of the Unemployed? Nay Votes on Unemployment Benefit Extension Bills 2008-2009 I wrote on October 20, 2009, I published a list of all the nay votes on all three unemployment extension bills. Below is a table of how the nay voters today voted on prior unemployment extensions.

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