The GOP (@gop) and especially the GOP House of Representatives (@houseGOP) under the ‘leadership’ of Speaker John Boehner (@speakerboehner) have performed a remarkable feat of financial destruction to millions of unemployed and especially the long-term job seeker.
While the Senate has passed an extension of unemployment that would last until the end of May, the GOP House has decided to ignore the issue until a multitude of pet legislation is approved. They are tying the approval of the Keystone Pipeline, the gutting of environmental and safety regulations and more tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy to any unemployment extension legislation, basically assuring that the long-term unemployed will be left on their own, since the GOP wish list is so vast that any legislation would take many months to go through the approval process.
Currently 2.5 million long-term unemployed have exhausted their 26 weeks of insurance. Each week another 72,000 job seeking American families exhaust their 26 weeks of benefits. How the GOP can so casually ignore so many people who need assistance during the job search is stunning. GOP fights to the point of shutting down government to keep taxes historically low for the mega wealthy, but they are silent when it comes to helping millions of American families that are struggling in a weak job market. GOP priorities remain feed the rich and starve the poor and middle class.
GOP ignore the following damage they are causing for partisan talking points:
In a typical month last year, 2.3 million children lived with a parent who had been unemployed for 26 weeks or longer, according to an updated analysis from the Urban Institute. That represents a threefold increase over how many lived in such a situation in 2007.
Every state has seen a big increase in the percentage of children who are impacted by long-term unemployment over the last six years, but Georgia, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C. have the largest shares, with more than 4.5 percent of all children affected. DC is particularly bad, with nearly 7.5 percent of children living with a parent who has been out of work for such a long time.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/01/13/3156981/long-term-unemployment-children/
GOP not only casually ignores the damage done to children of the long-term unemployed, but they also are abandoning soldiers sent into harms way:
The unemployment rate among veterans who had joined the military after September 11, 2001, averaged 9.0 percent last year, down from 9.9 percent in 2012, the Labor Department said. That was about 1.6 percentage points above the rate for the civilian population.
Joblessness among this group is set to worsen as the war in Afghanistan winds down. Pentagon’s proposed budget calls for the U.S. Army to shrink to around 450,000 from a war-time high of 570,000.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/20/us-usa-economy-veterans-idUSBREA2J27120140320
And that includes 270,000 long-term unemployed veterans:
Almost 270,000 veterans would benefit from enacting this legislation into law. Veterans are losing this vital lifeline every day. It’s time for the GOP House to act.
See how many unemployed veterans would benefit from the Senate-passed unemployment insurance compromise in your state:
See more at: http://www.dpcc.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=290#sthash.IcwahUPi.dpuf
Yet if a few mega profitable corporations or individuals demanded a tax shelter or favorable legislation, the GOP would be there in a heartbeat to offer their assistance. When it comes to assisting children and veterans? Not so much. All you can hear from the GOP House when it comes to helping children and veterans financially harmed by the damage of long-term unemployment is the sound of crickets.
Yet GOP is fighting for billions in tax cuts that favor the wealthy:
Washington (CNN) – Republicans want to cut the deficit. And Republicans want to cut taxes. Tuesday, those two sweeping goals collided as a GOP-controlled House committee voted to advance hundreds of billions in tax cuts at the cost of adding those billions to the deficit.
The House Ways and Means Committee voted almost entirely along party lines to make six tax breaks permanent at a cost of $310 billion over the next 10 years.
Republicans pass tax breaks, but don’t pay for them – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs
Additional headlines that show the jobs economy is not healed:
A Better Economy, Still Far From Good – NYTimes.com
Shocking US jobs data impugns recovery, Fed tapering – Telegraph
5 cautionary signs in April’s US jobs report – seattlepi.com
Labor market will lose 400,000 jobs in 2013 if UI extensions expire | Economic Policy Institute
Jobs Report: Second Impressions | Jared Bernstein | On the Economy
Why the Jobs Report Isn’t All Good | The Nation
And the most important reason to extended jobless benefits is:
People out of work for at least 27 weeks lose hope and job-ready skills. Their families face growing financial distress. And employers often look past their resumes.
The 3.45 million jobless workers in April who had been looking for a new spot for at least 27 weeks made up about 35.3% of total unemployed, a “disturbingly high” rate, said Gregory Daco, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.
And while that share is down from 37.4% a year ago, it’s more than twice a rate of 17.4% when the recession started at the end of 2007, according to the U.S. Labor Department data.
Long-term jobless still more than one-third of unemployed – Capitol Report – MarketWatch
The Twitter #RenewUI hashtag contains those who are fighting the GOP integrisense on extending unemployment insurance. Show your support for their efforts to extend a financial lifeline to milions of hard working Americans and their families.
Contact these GOP leaders and ask them why they fight for the few and ignore millions of long-term unemployed. Tell them to #renewUI immediately. 3 million families and 270,000 rave veterans are suffering financial harm because these GOP ‘leaders’ will not support a long-term unemployment benefit extension. No Congress has ever ended extended benefits with long-term unemployment rates this high.
John Boehner: @SpeakerBoehner
Eric Cantor: @GOPLeader
Cathy McMorris Rogers: @cathymcmorris
Kevin McCarthy: @GOPWhip
Rep. Lynn Jenkins: @RepLynnJenkins
Rep. Greg Walden: @repgregwalden
Rep. James Lankford: @RepLankford
Rep. Virginia Foxx: @virginiafoxx
Rep. Peter Roskam: @PeterRoskam
Rep. Dave Camp: @RepDaveCamp
Rep. Paul Ryan: @RepPaulRyan
Rep. Darrell Issa: @DarrellIssa
Rep. Jason Chaffetz: @jasoninthehouse
Rep. Trey Gowdy: @TGowdySC
Rep. Tim Murphy: @RepTimMurphy
Rep. Lou Barletta: @RepLouBarletta
Rep. C. Dent: @DentPressShop
Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick: @RepFitzpatrick
Rep. Jim Gerlach: @JimGerlach
Rep. Tom Marino: @RepTomMarino
Rep. Patrick Meehan: @RepMeehan
Rep. Scott Perry: @RepScottPerry
Rep. Joe Pitts: @RepJoePitts
Rep. Bill Shuster: @RepBillShuster
Rep. Glenn Thompson: @CongressmanGT
Rep. Mo Brooks: @RepMoBrooks
Paul Broun: @RepPaulBrounMD
John Culberson: @CongCulberson
Ron DeSantis: @RepDeSantis
Scott DesJarlais: @DesJarlaisTN04
Rep. Jeff Duncan: @RepJeffDuncan
John Fleming: @RepFleming
Scott Garrett: @RepGarrett
Rep Phil Gingrey, MD: @RepPhilGingrey
Louie Gohmert: @replouiegohmert
Tim Huelskamp: @CongHuelskamp
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: @RepHartzler
Tom Graves: @RepTomGraves
Jim_Jordan: @Jim_Jordan
Steve King: @SteveKingIA
Raúl R. Labrador: @Raul_Labrador
Thomas Massie: @RepThomasMassie
Tom McClintock: @RepMcClintock
Mark Meadows: @RepMarkMeadows
Randy Neugebauer: @RandyNeugebauer
Matt Salmon: @RepMattSalmon
Mark Sanford: @MarkSanford
Rep. Steve Scalise: @SteveScalise
Rep. David Schweikert: @RepDavid
Rep. Steve Stockman: @SteveWorks4You (if you are wealthy)
Rep. Marlin Stutzman: @RepStutzman
Randy Weber: @TXRandy14
Ted Yoho: @RepTedYoho
Rodney Frelinghuysen: @USRepRodney
Rep. Jason Smith: @RepJasonSmith
Rep. Roger Williams: @RepRWilliams
Rep. Duncan Hunter: @Rep_Hunter
Spencer Bachus: @BachusAL06
Larry Bucshon: @RepLarryBucshon
Howard Coble: @HowardCoble
Rep. Chris Collins: @RepChrisCollins
Mike Conaway: @ConawayTX11
Rep. Paul Cook: @RepPaulCook
Rep Rodney Davis: @RodneyDavis
Jeff Denham: @RepJeffDenham
Mario Diaz-Balart: @MarioDB
Rep. Renee Ellmers: @RepReneeEllmers
Bob Goodlatte: @RepGoodlatte
Kay Granger: @RepKayGranger
Rep. Richard Hanna: @RepRichardHanna
Gregg Harper: @GreggHarper
Doc Hastings: @DocHastings
Joe Heck: @RepJoeHeck (Joe Heck with the unemployed?)
Jeb Hensarling: @RepHensarling
Jaime Herrera Beutler: @HerreraBeutler
George Holding: @RepHolding
Richard Hudson: @RepRichHudson
Rep. Bill Huizenga: @RepHuizenga
Rep. Mike Kelly; @MikeKellyPA
John Kline: @repjohnkline
Frank LoBiondo: @RepLoBiondo
Billy Long: @auctnr1
Rep. Cynthia Lummis: @CynthiaLummis
Patrick McHenry: @PatrickMcHenry
Buck McKeon: @BuckMcKeon
Candice Miller: @CandiceMiller
Gary G. Miller: @RepGaryMiller
Rep. Devin Nunes: @Rep_DevinNunes
Rep. Erik Paulsen: @RepErikPaulsen
Ted Poe: @JudgeTedPoe
Mike Pompeo: @RepMikePompeo
Trey Radel: @treyradel
Tom Reed: @RepTomReed
Hal Rogers: @RepHalRogers
Mike Rogers: @RepMikeRogersAL
Mike Rogers (MI-08): @RepMikeRogers
Peter Roskam: @PeterRoskam
Ed Royce: @RepEdRoyce
Rep. Jon Runyan: @RepJonRunyan
Rep. Austin Scott: @AustinScottGA08
Pete Sessions: @PeteSessions
Cong. Mike Simpson: @CongMikeSimpson
Rep. Adrian Smith: @RepAdrianSmith
Rep. Lee Terry: @LEETERRYNE
Rep. Mike Turner: @RepMikeTurner
Fred Upton: @RepFredUpton
Rep. David Valadao: @RepDavidValadao
Daniel Webster: @RepWebster
Lynn Westmoreland: @RepWestmoreland
Rep. Todd Young: @RepToddYoung
Randy Forbes: @Randy_Forbes
Rep. Bob Latta: @boblatta
Rep. Walter Jones; @RepWalterJones
Rep. Pete King: @RepPeteKing
Dave Reichert: @davereichert
Michele Bachmann: @MicheleBachmann (she can’t retire fast enough…)
Rep. Erik Paulsen: @RepErikPaulsen
RepKevinBrady: @RepKevinBrady
Also connect with @gop @repcloakroom @housegop @senate_gops @gopnmc
If you know the Twitter handles of other GOP, please post them in the comments section.
It’s important that the long-term unemployed and those who support them are actively contacting these representatives and asking them why they are doing so much harm to so many millions of American families and veterans who are experiencing long-term unemployment.
The GOP economy of feed the rich and starve the poor and middle class.
Tags: #renewUI, GOP, jobs, long term unemployed, unemployed, unemployment, unemployment benefits, veterans
Matt Taibbi is one of today’s foremost economic journalists who has the courage to tell the political class the truth about how the economic and judicial system is designed to be kind to the wealthy and harm the poor and middle class. I urge you to listen to his presentation. The video sound is somewhat distorted for the first few minutes, but it becomes clear about 5 minutes into the presentation.
Matt Taibbi’s new book, The Divide, is now available at Amazon:
Standing up against injustice is vital to a democracy based on the rule of law. Thanks Matt Taibbi for doing your part.
Tags: inequality, injustice, Matt Taibbi, The Divide, wealth
If you are having a difficult time finding a US based job, why not consider Canada? Using an employment agency helps you find a wide selection of jobs in various fields. And an advantage to working in Canada is free universal healthcare.
Canada has a rapidly growing energy sector that needs skilled trade, administrative workers, engineers, and software professionals. From Nova Scotia to Vancouver, Canadian employers are looking for qualified workers.
Canada offers citizens many advantages:
• One of the best education systems in the world
• Salaries exceed those of many other countries
• Canada was recently recognized as having a wealthier middle class than any other country
• Canada was rated as the #1 place to live on the planet by the United Nations
• Canada has one of the highest life expectancies
• Canada has a wealth of cultural and outdoor experiences that rival any other country
• Vancouver was rated the most livable city
• Calgary was rated the most environmentally friendly and cleanest city
• Toronto is the 5th largest city in North America and is a destination for many new Canadian arrivals
• Canada is a multicultural and diverse society
Applying for work in Canada does take a little effort. Canada requires that you apply for a working visa:
• After you receive a job offer from a Canadian employer, the employer will issue a written offer as proof the applicant is ready to enter Canada legally
• The worker must then meet a minimum set of requirements of the job and have documented proof of their experience
• Proof of identity and an application fee are other requirements
• You can learn more about the official working visa requirements at the Government of Canada website
Canada has a great deal to offer, so what are you waiting for?
Canada has a great deal to offer, so what are you waiting for?
