Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Ravi Bhatia-Talk Radio News Service

Democratic senators accused their Republican colleagues of becoming “A party of ‘No’” today on Capitol Hill, expressing concern that the right is delaying a bill to extend unemployment benefits for 14 additional weeks to those whose benefits are expiring before 2010.

The bill would add 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits to citizens in states suffering the highest unemployment rates, such as Rhode Island and Michigan.

“Every state has been hit by this recession, every state is seeing these problems,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I) said. “The Republicans have thrown up opposition in terms of requesting a CBO score when we know [the bill] is fully paid for and fully offset. Now they’re delaying passage by offering amendments that have nothing to do with unemployment. Instead of action, they are just simply saying 'no'.”

Every dollar of unemployment benefits generates $1.60, according to Reed, who later added that the Republicans proposed attaching amendments that relate to ACORN funding and extending the $8,000 real estate tax credit.

Employers pay state and federal unemployment taxes. To pay for the bill, the Democrats proposed extending federal unemployment taxes one more year. Republican senators want the bill to be paid for by other means.

The national unemployment rate has reached 9.8 percent and continues to climb, according to the U.S Deptartment of Labor.

“We don’t need more foreclosures. We need to help folks,” said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), whose state’s unemployment rate is at 7.6 percent. “And this is the time to do it.”