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Shameless Obstruction

If you were up late watching the Senate on C-SPAN last night (yes, I was) you would have witnessed an astonishing case of shameless obstruction by Republican Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky.

In an effort to enact emergency legislation to extend the expanded federal unemployment insurance and COBRA health subsidies beyond February 28, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) brought a series of unanimous consent requests to act on the bill. Every request was met with an objection by Bunning, a stunt he’d begun on Wednesday.

Because of Bunning’s obstruction it is likely that current jobless aid program extensions will expire this Sunday. More than one million long-term jobless face the expiration of these benefits unless Congress can quickly pass an emergency, retroactive extension either this weekend or early next week.

Following each objection by Bunning last night, Senate Democrats led by Durbin responded with passionate pleas on behalf of America’s unemployed millions, and denunciations of Bunning’s cold hypocrisy. Senators Sanders (D-VT), McCaskill (D-MO), Merkley (D-OR), Begich (D-AK), Whitehouse (D-RI) and Reed (D-RI) joined Durbin in delivering some of the most emotionally charged defenses of hard-working Americans heard on the Senate floor in years.

Earlier in the day, an emergency one-month jobless aid extension passed the House by a voice vote.

Then came the series of obstructing objections by Bunning, reportedly peppered with a choice, overheard expletive.

In a colloquy with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Jeff Merkley, a freshman Democrat from Oregon, was pleading for Bunning to drop his objection, when the Kentucky Republican got fed up.

“Tough s—t,” Bunning said as he was seated in the back row, overheard by the floor staff and others in attendance.

During the hours of back-and-forth objections from Bunning and responses from Democrats, Bunning complained that he was missing the Kentucky-South Carolina basketball game.

From The New York Times story: Bunning Blocks Jobless Aid in Senate:

12:06 a.m. | Updated The Senate clash over the unemployment benefits ended just before midnight Thursday with Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, refusing to lift his objection, meaning the jobless aid – for however short a time – will run out Sunday night unless a deal is reached Friday.

As the fight drew to a close, Mr. Bunning complained he had been ambushed by the Democrats and was forced to miss the Kentucky-South Carolina basketball game.

Over at Congress Matters today David Waldman noted this about Bunning:

… he’s blocking unemployment benefits for those hard hit by the recession, when he himself, as a Hall of Fame pitcher, can generate cash for himself any time he needs it (and often does) just by signing his name to a baseball. Maybe not everyone in America can turn a pen into an ATM, Jimbo.

Still lurking is Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) who threatens to block future jobless aid extensions, as well as additional jobs legislation, unless he can advance a plan to cut taxes for heirs of multi-millionaires.

It is likely that Senate Democrats will still need a procedural vote on cloture before getting to vote on the one-month emergency jobless benefits extension, something that might not come until next Tuesday — unless the Senate remains in session this weekend.

We’ll continue to keep you posted.

Meanwhile, if you would like to share your thoughts with them by phone:
Sen. Jim Bunning 202-224-4343
Sen. Jon Kyl (202) 224-4521

Tags: Jim Bunning, jobless benefits extentsion, Jon Kyl, unemployment