WASHINGTON – President Obama on Saturday called on Congress to help out thousands of long-term unemployed Americans whose benefits expired on December 28th.
In this week’s address to the nation, President Obama said Congress should act to extend emergency unemployment insurance for more than one million Americans who have lost this “vital economic lifeline while looking for a job.”
“Letting emergency unemployment insurance expire not only harms American families, but it is also a drag on the overall economy,” the President said.
Mr. Obama urged both parties to pass the bipartisan three-month extension under consideration in the Senate “so that we can once again focus on expanding opportunities for the middle class and creating jobs for all hardworking Americans.”
Watch video:
httpv://youtu.be/gT9SB_aY5nA
Hey 4ever49,
Glad to hear you are hiring. Folks like you that have boldness and wit to bring on new employees on in this bad environment is great news. We need more job creators like you.
You won’t see a Republican plan because Harry nutless Reed won’t let anything go to a vote in the Senate that doesn’t pass his socialist liberal agenda. And our supreme dictator Obama will not even meet with Republicans. Why are you spend o crats so afraid of policies that actually cut waste and reduce the national debt other then so many of you might actually have to go to work and quit leeching off others. I mean it’s obvious you have become so used to living off the working that the mere thought of work throws you into panic.
Can’t find a good paying job…..MOVE!
You liberals can lie all you want about Republican policies. I am a Union man that never got ahead under any Democratic administration.
When Democrats took over my wages went stagnate or backwards. When the Republicans took over I started getting good pay raises and getting ahead.
I vote my pocket book. I tried being a Democrat and when I leaned their socialist agenda I bolted. Poor people vote for the Democrats and after all these decades they are still poor. You would think you liberals would wise up.
You can spread all your propaganda you want about Republicans but facts are facts. The Republicans are now just as liberal as you Democrats so I really don’t know why you keep bitching about them.
Really!
Watchdog’s comments regarding economic issues is truly laughable. Republicans have ALWAYS been wrong when it comes to this country’s economy. Can anyone think of a GOP plan that didn’t later prove to be wrong? Anyone?….anyone
bagodad – not all things require a “program”. Businesses are created, hire people, pay taxes, etc. all the time without a “program”.
In fact the creation of some programs actually works against the interests of voting tax payers – can you say NAFTA?
as compared to the democrats program the last few years???
******AMERICA IS IN A VICIOUS CYCLE******
Spreading the wealth creates unemployment.
Unemployment creates the need to extend unemployment benefits.
Unemployment benefits spreads the wealth.
Fact: President Obama’s Socialism’s, ‘Spreading The Wealth Economy’ does NOT create jobs.
Fact: Free Enterprise For Profit WILL create jobs.
Sorry liberals, your brand of economics is destroying America.
Please become Patriotic and join the Free Enterprise campaign to create jobs!
Another fact:
Profit makes it able for an employer to hire an employee.
Wrong again. Trickle down economics does not work. Ronnie Reagan tried it, George Bush tried it. That standard of republican thinking (let the wealthy continue to get richer through less taxes) does not work. The vicious cycle is that the rich just keep getting richer on the backs of the worker. And the worker keeps taking in the rear to make sure the rich can continue to live in their $500,000 homes and buy their $60,000 cars, and take their $20,000 vacations two or three times a year. Unemployment is not improving because the business industry doesn’t want it to improve. More workers mean less profit. Less profit means fewer t-bones on the table.
@Boda
You are dead wrong. President Reagan got this country out of one hell of mess. When he took office everyone was going bankrupt, interest rates were over 20%, and I had to take a pay cut because of Jimmy Carters BS.
When the economy turned around I got my pay cut back,prospered, and my employer didn’t have to close his doors.
You do not understand how business runs. If employers don’t make a profit then they can’t hire. Your ignorant jeously of their wealth and wanting to take it away from people who have managed to acquire wealth is destroying this country.
You must hate the Jews as they control most of the worlds money. Well, every country they have been thrown out the people live in horrible conditions with only the dictators having wealth.
Trickle down economics is a buzz word for putting down hard work and initiative. Free enterprise built this country and your socialism is tearing it down.
Get real.
By the way, it was your Buddy Slick Willie that got all the Democrats to change their vote to support NAFTA and GATT. The Democrats got it passed and the rest is history.
Ross Perot sucking sound of job loss is very loud.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, ignorance runs amuck here. All they believe is what they are told.
corporate profits soared last year as did the number of working poor. Corporate profits are passed on to mainly the rich and greedy while the working man get deeper in the hole.
@DR Dunn-Once again you are correct. But, even though their profits increased I don’t think you will ever see them come down. I can tell you horror story’s about how their minds work and they are imbedded in our culture. They are entitled to make money on their investments but it has gotten out of control. When all of our politicians on both sides of the aisle are investors or owners I can’t see them voting to reduce their own money. It will take a revolution to do it.
when I was a working man I always wanted the company I worked for to do well because I knew that if they did well I would be rewarded with a nice pay raise. That is not true today. The workers don’t share in the success of the company. They are just asked to produce more and are told they are lucky to have a job. Corporate greed runs amuck and unchecked today.
Mason City is dying, drying up, turning into a haven for welfare recipients because of liberalism, stupidity, drugs, ignorance, and immorality just like any city, county, or state infested with liberal democrats! Think about it, if you’re capable of it, Mason City.
welfare recipients aren’t the problem in Mason City. Mason City’s problem is the same problem as most of the United States. The lack of jobs is the problem. Jobs that you can make a living at. Jobs that you can support a family on. Mason City has an awful lot of working poor people just like most of the US
@DR Dunn-Once again I agree with your comments. There are so many in Mason City that are underemployeed it is unreal. Yet, there are good paying jobs available that are not being filled. I have a relative that I told many times where to go to get a decent job but he stayed home playing video games and sleeping just so he could run at night. So many of these underemployeed people can not get a decent job because they have a criminal record due to theft or drug use or do not have a drivers license to get to work due to alcohol or drug use. A lot of the better paying jobs are in the smaller community’s around Mason City.
unfortunately there will always be a small percentage of people who will try (and succeed) at beating the system. But the vast majority given a chance to get a good paying job will take it. I just can’t understand the logic of punishing all for the acts of a few.
I do feel sorry for some of these people who need that unemployment. If you are over 50 in this country and out of work it is damn hard to find a job for several reasons that are not the fault of the people who are looking. As always with these programs the people who really need it have to suffer along with the people who are just milking it. In Obama’s case, I would have to ask, why did he sign the budget if he disagreed with this part of it. Is it possible he wanted to make a political splash over someone else’s loss, again.
LVS-I would agree that if you are over 50 and have worked for a company for several years then lost your job it is very difficult to find a comparable job. I have a friend that lost his job because the company moved to Mexico and every job he applies for they say he is over qualified. I think it has more to do that they want to hire someone younger for cheaper than what it would take to hire him. He is going to have to leave Mason City to find work.
@Iowa Viking-Your comments are correct. That is part of the issues. Another one is older workers have generally raised their income by working longer. (That is a Union belief as well as true in most industry). The way these company’s look at it is they can hire a younger worker for 20% more and not have to pay into 401K as well as health insurance is cheaper for younger people than it is a senior. They also look and say the older worker is set in their ways and we can train a younger worker our way and they will be with us a lot longer so we bet a bigger return on our investment. It is illegal to discriminate because of age but they do it all the time. Most senior worker realize this and would take less if given a chance. But they just don’t get called for a interview. It is a damn shame as they are turning away a lot of talent and older workers tend to be much more stable and do not have the distractions younger workers do. It is damn tough if you are over 50.
spot on LVS!
A drug test should be required to receive a monthly unemployment check.
The spend o crat way is to give for votes.
The “emergency” is over. They need to get to work. You will be surprised just how many will manage to find work once the freebies dry up.