Jul 22, 2010

Democratic leader also urges GOP to move on Hire Michigan First bills


Senate Minority Leader Mike Prusi, D-Ishpeming, was just one person battling Republicans to help those unable to find a job in the Bush recession continue to receive unemployment benefits, and the persistence paid off on Wednesday when the U.S. Senate a approved a six-month extension of unemployment benefits after weeks of Republican obstructionism.

Prusi introduced Senate Resolution 172 on July 1 urging U.S. Senate Republicans to put partisanship aside and lift their filibuster on a bill that will allow a six-month extension of unemployment benefits and Medicaid funding, but Michigan Senate Republicans even refused to allow a vote on the resolution and promptly went on a two week vacation.

“I am glad to see that two Republicans in the U.S. Senate finally allowed a vote on an extension of unemployment benefits and that it passed last night,” Prusi said. “I called on them to do so weeks ago, and it’s just a shame that more than 100,000 unemployed Michigan residents had to struggle to get by with their lifeline cut for three weeks while the Republicans played games and took vacations.”

While Senate Republicans enjoyed their vacation, 114,000 Michigan residents had their unemployment benefits run out. These workers, along with almost 300,000 additional unemployed Michigan workers, will have their benefits extended thanks to Congress’ action last night.

“Unfortunately, it isn’t much different in the State Senate, where Mike Bishop and the Senate Republicans continue to do nothing for Michigan ’s economy and our unemployed workers,” Prusi said. “We have legislation before the State Senate that would hire Michigan workers first on state-funded projects and secure $138.9 million in federal funding to extend unemployment benefits for workers in retraining programs. The Senate Republicans in Lansing need to stop obstructing our efforts to help Michigan workers.

4 comments:

Not Anonymous said...

Thankfully, most people in Michigan know this is a bunch of BS.

This is easy to know by looking at the polls. The socialist Democrats are sinking fast. The socialist Democrats running for Governor are behind the Republican candidates and even Obama is losing against unnamed Republicans. Just because they are Republican, they are beating Obama if the election were held today. His only hope for re-election in two years is if the Republicans win in the fall. He MAY have a chance then. Not likely, but it's his only "hope" that things don't "change" his next time around.

Communications guru said...

Simply not true. Hire Michigan First is just common sense, and the majority of people in Michigan know that.

Once again, anonymous coward, there is no such thing as a Socialist Democrat in the United States, and that is just a false, Republican smear. Polls have nothing to do with anything. I know Republican govern – well, try to govern since they are incapable of that – but Democrats don’t. The Republicans are doing everything possible to kill the fragile recovery just to gain control of something they hate. Screw the country, they want the power.

President Obama is not up for election.

I know I can’t wait for November. The teabaggers are dragging the Republicans right off the cliff. That’s one reason they are fighting so hard to not to have their view actually on the ballot in full view of voters.

Again, anonymous coward, I’m still waiting for you to back up your outrageous lie that we were “nearly shoulder to shoulder once.”

carraig said...

Is it legal ? Especially with federal funds ?

I thought there were all kinds of restrictions on what they could and could not do.

Communications guru said...

Is what legal?