Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning single-handedly blocked a thirty day extension of unemployment benefits for 1.2 million Americans last night, telling fellow senators on the floor of the Senate “tough sh--,” in response to their objections. Due to Bunning’s out of touch tactic, unemployment benefits will now end or be disrupted this Sunday for 1.2 million Americans. The two leading Republicans running to take Bunning’s seat, Trey Grayson and Rand Paul, have remained silent on Bunning’s tactics. With Kentucky having a 10.7% unemployment rate and 221,052 Kentuckians out of work, will Trey Grayson and Rand Paul condone Bunning’s block, or will they do the right thing and speak out against it?
“Trey Grayson and Rand Paul want to replace Jim Bunning in the Senate, but do they want to follow his approach in blocking a critical unemployment extension for Kentucky’s unemployed?,” said DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. “With thousands of unemployed Kentuckians at risk, the people in the state deserve to know where Grayson and Paul stand on Bunning’s out of touch tactic – will they speak up to condone or denounce his actions?”
Governor Beshear followed up with this plea to Bunning:
FRANKFORT, Ky. – In a letter regarding an extension of unemployment benefits, Gov. Steve Beshear today urged Senator Jim Bunning to allow passage of H.R. 4691, a vital extension of unemployment benefits to 1.2 million Americans.
“These unemployed Kentuckians come from hard-working families that have struggled for months to find new employment in the greatest economic recession in our lifetime,” wrote Gov. Beshear. “They are mothers and fathers who are trying to put food on the table for their children and seniors who are trying to pay the rent.”
Kentucky currently has an unemployment rate of 10.7 percent, and 119,230 Kentuckians are currently receiving benefits through the federal extension program. Without a further extension, 14,206 claimants will exhaust all extension benefits within two weeks. By the end of March, a total of 22,797 will exhaust their benefits; by mid-April, 31,521 will exhaust their benefits; and, by July 31, the remainder of those receiving extension benefits will exhaust them. Beyond the number of those receiving extension benefits, another 90,000 Kentuckians currently on unemployment insurance will not be eligible for the federal extension program at all.
“I urge you to reverse your position on this bill and would welcome any opportunity to provide you with further information on its tremendous necessity,” said Gov. Beshear.
