Just after Barack Obama offered to strike a deal with Republicans in slashing social spending, our congress decided to allow extended unemployment benefits to expire for the millions of workers laid off for more than 26 weeks. About 800,000 workers who are currently receiving extended benefits will be cut off by the end of next week, with that number increasing to two million by the end of December and another fie million by April. Both Democrates and Republicans have reacted with no differences. Our political establishment has failed us once again with the enourmous social disaster. How will the American people be able to afford their health care bills when their benefits expire? Barack Obama is currently more interested in reaching a bipartisan compromise mostly fixed on extending tax cuts to the rich. Who surely don't worry about their health care bills or feeding their families.
The millions of workers officially counted as unemployed, 41 percent have been without work for 26 weeks, according to the Labor Department. Because of the high level of unemployment, 37 states have until now offered federally funded extensions for up to 99 weeks. The benefits pay 302.90 a week, that is also is not including tax's taken out of the benefits recieved. Which would also included a smaller portion of that recieved by those who are unemployed.
The cutoff of unemployment checks will end the only source of income to millions of working class families already facing devastating financial burdens. Two to four million Americans have already exhausted their benefits, but over 90,000 more people recieving benifets will joining the ranks every week. The millions of other Americans who are losing their jobs now will only qualify for six months of benefits no matter how long they are without a job. The unemployment rate is at 9.6 percent and is also expected to continue way into 2012.
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (Democrat-Montana) last minute attempt to pushed for an extension of unemployment benefits for one more year was defeated as he failed to win a unanimous consent vote in the upper house. The House of Represenatives voted against the continuation of benefits for another three months two weeks earlier.
The republicans on the other hand held up the bill for nearly two months. They left millions of Americans without any source of income. The Democratic controlled Congress was able to find a bipartisan aggreement by allowing additional tax cuts and eliminate the 25 dollar a week additional compensation that had been available for jobless workers since February 2009.
President Obama, and congressional leaders from both parties decided to work even more closely with the Republican party. With unemployment record high numbers and benefits set to expire their agenda was clear. Deep budget cuts that President Barack Obama said would take "broad sacrifice" by the American people.
Barack Obama has said publicly that he will work with Republican leaders in order to "confront long-term deficits that cloud our future" and secure our "safety and security" of the population, slash social spending, at the same time increase our military force and an increase on attacking our democratic rights in the name of the "war of terrorism."
In making a bipartisan effort Barack Obama has decided to freeze 2.1 million federal government employees-another demand that the Republicans wanted-this is just another clear sign that the administration is moving even further to the right, both domestically and in foreign policy, in the aftermath of the mid-term elections. This is Barack Obama effort in trying to resolve the "gridlock" in Washington to create cooperation and bipartisanship in making "difficult choices."
Barack Obama will cooperate with the Republican leadership in allowing the Bush tax cuts for the rich to continue for at least for the next few years.
Barack Obama stays silent as millions of Americans go without extended benefits while Republicans throw millions of workers into disillusion over their own economic future. In the graceful back down of the Democratic leadership held by Barack Obama, it is clear that the Republican party leaders have won over American politics once again.