Last night one Republican Senator from Kentucky, Jim Bunning, in spite of bipartisan support, stopped legislation which would have prevented 1.2 million laid off workers from prematurely losing their unemployment benefits and health care on Monday, February 28. When Senator Ron Wyden (D - Oregon) begged him to allow it to pass for the benefit of those laid off workers and their families, he said: "Tough shit." And as debate continued later into the evening, he had the arrogance to complain that he was missing the Kentucky/South Carolina basketball game.
As he admitted, Mr. Bunning was really not opposed to the extension, he simply wanted the money to come from another source. Since he was not going to get his way, the laid off workers were not going to get the extension. Does that remind you of someone? Perhaps Alabama's Republican Senator, Shelby, who was holding up over 70 administration appointments because he was not receiving the pork barrel earmarks that he wanted.
Senator Bunning readily cashes his government check of $174,000 a year, and accepts his government sponsored health care and retirement without questioning where the money is coming from; but God forbid that the 10.7% unemployed Kentuckians and their families should receive a 30 day unemployment extension.
And let this be a lesson to the Senate. Do not, I repeat, do not force Jim Bunning to stay at his desk on the Senate floor when the University of Kentucky's men basketball team is playing.
And then we wonder why others around the world question our democracy when one senator can prevent a bipartisan majority from acting in the interests of the people.
The system is broken. Senators Bunning and Shelby have graphically demonstrated that fact.
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