Unemployment Extension on Americans' Minds

Healthcare and unemployment both made the list of most searched legislation

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December 2, 2010 RSS Feed Print
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5. Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872)

Previous ranking: 5

Sponsor: Rep. John Spratt (D-SC)

The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which contains amendments to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (No. 1, above), was passed one week after the Patient Protection Act. Among the key changes that H.R. 4872 made are the closure of the Medicare "donut hole" and a reduction in the penalty for not having insurance. This bill also reforms the student loan system, including among its many provisions the elimination of the program via which federal student loans were administered through private institutions.

6. Public Safety Officer Family Health Benefits Act (H.R. 3162)

Not on list last week

Sponsor: Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI)

Stupak, a former Michigan state police trooper and founder of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, introduced this bill in July 2009. The bill has been in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform since its introduction. This act would allow family members of public safety officers killed in the line of duty to be covered by federal health benefits. Stupak sponsored similar measures in 2007 and 2005. In neither of these instances did the bills move beyond committee.

7. Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R. 3081)

Previous ranking: 5

Sponsor: Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY)

Congress hasn't yet passed spending bills to fund the government for the new fiscal year, which began on October 1. So they passed this temporary appropriations bill before they went on recess so that federal programs and offices can operate until they pass the full spending bills. Passing the FY 2011 budget is one of the chief tasks of the lame-duck Congress, and it is on the agenda for this week.

8. Telework Improvements Act of 2010 (H.R. 1722)

Not on list last week

Sponsor: Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD)

Presented to the president on Monday, the Telework Improvements Act would make telecommuting easier for many federal employees. The bill would establish requirements for executive agencies to create policies allowing certain employees to telecommute as much as possible, as long as it does not poorly affect performance. [See who donates the most to Sarbanes.]

9. Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297)

Previous ranking: 9

Sponsor: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act includes provisions to establish a $30 billion fund to increase loan availability to small businesses. The act also includes an initiative to help fund states' lending programs and several forms of tax relief for small businesses, such as increased deductions for business start-up costs. This bill passed the House in June and passed the Senate in amended form on September 16. On September 23, the House agreed to the Senate version, named the "Small Business Jobs Act of 2010," and President Obama signed it into law four days later.

10. Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213)

Not on list last week

Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)

This bill, which President Obama signed into law on July 22, went through several versions and was known by several names, including the "American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act" and "Tax Extenders Act." The final bill established the long-awaited extension of unemployment benefits until November 30, 2010, allowing out-of-work Americans a total of 99 weeks of unemployment insurance. Many have questioned whether Congress will--or should--approve further extensions, amid concerns about growing deficits. The National Employment Law Project, a workers' advocacy group, has released a report estimating that 1.2 million people could lose their unemployment benefits if an extension is not passed.

You might be interested in...

Tags:
Barney Frank,
Chris Dodd,
John Spratt,
Chaka Fattah,
Bart Stupak,
Bobby Rush,
Nita Lowey,
Wall Street,
Charles Rangel,
Congress,
deficit and national debt,
gun control and gun rights,
healthcare reform,
unemployment

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If they don't keep extending unemployment benefits, all those people will end up on the welfare rolls or other assistance programs!!

That doesn't seem like a wise decision either.

We the unemployed have lost our jobs, many have filed bankruptcy and have lost their homes to Foreclosures.

It is about time we started taking care of our own (US citizens) and stop

spending money on other countries and the war!! It doesn't help that we send so much work elsewhere either.

KEEP THE JOBS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!

JB of CA 8:49PM December 11, 2010

THEY BITCH ABOUT PAYING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT EXT. TELL THEM HOW DID THEY PAY FOR THE EXT. THIS TIME??????????

RICHARD of NY 2:38PM December 07, 2010

This may be my 1st and last time writing a comment on our countries affairs, I may be ridiculed because I haven't been keeping up due to health. I am sure that someone far more educated than myself has already brought this up, but did we not loan other countries over the decades past at least the amount we owe other countries now? Sometime later, did we not, for peace or trade negotiations, with those countries and others, "FORGAVE" the debt? Unless I remember what I read about that incorrectly, where are our fellow countries, that we helped in the past with money, our service troupes (sometimes their lives) and supplies and non-profit workers to help all over the world, were are they now when we need financial assistance? If we had the money from this war alone, we would not be in debt. Yes, we lost much on 9-11, far beyond the death toll...unfortunately we did not learn from the previous invasion on our soil. The need to not re-act, so fast, that we moved quickly, hastily, and without all the knowledge needed to get whom was responsible with the least amount of MORE casualty to our homelands people and our security, so we may loose more since 9-11...if that is even possible. Why are our allies, that we helped in the past, and currently help, not footing money for us without interest...and if possible, forgiven...like we tend to do. I am educated somewhat to the fact that it is not so simple, and a domino affect with trade and allies would happen if we stopped trade completely. If this conflict keeps going on, we will not have enough strong, young people to protect an attack on our soil. Someone should have been as strong and decisive as the hero's that attacked the hijackers on that 3rd plane on 9-11, to save other lives that would have been lost if that plane had also made it to its original target. When a plane was in New Yorks "no fly zone", I understand there was time to shoot it down, or at least the second one. I believe our country's citizens' would have been behind that decision, especially after the facts came in.

Instead of our allies financially helping, Let's see, a proposal to tax 1% on things purchased, except stocks. People making very little, maybe disabled or something and trying not to be on aid, selling small things on the internet and such...but it seems that PURCHASING "STOCKS", WON'T BE INCLUDED IN THE TAXATION OF 1%, to rid out trillions of dollars in debt. I owned my home and had a state job at one time, but I couldn't afford buying stocks....Yes the 90+% of Americans whom maybe order over the internet because of time factors for working, children activities and/or people whom cannot physically get to the stores are to pay more to help our country. Yes, that will get us out of the trillions of dollars in debt, paying 1% tax on 12.95 X-mas toy or medical supplies. If people knew how our tax system works for above 200,000. in a low wage state...made me ill when I found out.

Cindy of WI 7:50PM December 04, 2010

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