Back on January 13 I wrote, “It’s really a no-brainer – the U.S. Senate and U.S. House should extend unemployment benefits. They should get it done this week.”
I was writing about the unemployment compensation that expired on December 28, 2013. It’s now been over three months since these folks (some two million people) last received a check.
The U.S. Senate finally passed an unemployment extension bill yesterday (April 7) by a 59-38 vote. For those keeping score in Montana, Senators Jon Tester and John Walsh voted for the bill. I applaud Tester and Walsh for their votes.
According to several reports, Speaker of the House John Boehner doesn’t like the senate bill so it may not even get a vote. Boehner has not brought forth his own bill.
This whole situation shows just how cold-hearted many who serve in Congress are – most have probably never had to count on an unemployment check to make ends meet.
The Western Word 