Labor & Employment Law

Bunning to Jobless Workers: ?Tough Sh*t?

By Mike Hall

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) has a message for the 1.2 million jobless workers who will lose their unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and COBRA health coverage in March when the two programs expire Feb. 28.

“Tough sh*t”

Bunning has single-handily blocked a vote on a 30-day extension by being the only senator to oppose a unanimous consent motion to vote on the bill which was passed earlier by the House.

For hours last night, Bunning refused to budge and according to Politico, when Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) urged Bunning to relent, his response was, “Tough sh*t.”

As of this morning, he continues to block the bill and reports from the Hill indicate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will now try to move a year-long extension next week. But even if that bill pass quickly and retroactively covers jobless workers who will lose their benefits between Feb. 28 and when the long-term is signed law, hundreds of thousands of unemployed will go weeks without help.

In Bunning’s home state, the unemployment rate is 10.7 percent and in some areas, such as Magoffin County, as high as 21.7 percent. But that’s just “tough sh*t,” says Bunning.

Nationwide, long-term unemployment continuing to rise-currently at an all-time high of 40 percent of all unemployed, people who desperately need the UI lifeline. But that’s just “tough sh*t” says Bunning.

What really upsets Bunning? Missing a University of Kentucky basketball game. Here’s how Politico describes the scene.

On the floor, Bunning leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, as he listened to a slew of Democratic senators talk about the bill he is blocking.

Around midnight, Bunning took the microphone again and said:

I have missed the Kentucky-South Carolina game that started at 9 o’clock, and it’s the only redeeming chance we had to beat South Carolina, since they’re the only team that has beat Kentucky this year.

Two words, Senator……

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 26, 2010 (boomark / email).