A debate on the Senate floor Monday over unemployment compensation crystallized, at least for a moment, the divide between the two parties in Washington.
Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Republican whip, argued that unemployment benefits dissuade people from job-hunting "because people are being paid even though they're not working."
Unemployment insurance "doesn't create new jobs. In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work," Kyl said during debate over whether unemployment insurance and other benefits that expired amid GOP objections Sunday should be extended.
"I'm sure most of them would like work and probably have tried to seek it, but you can't argue that it's a job enhancer. If anything, as I said, it's a disincentive. And the same thing with the COBRA extension and the other extensions here," said Kyl.
What the hell is wrong with these people?
1 comment:
They're all - or almost all - completely detached from the dilemmas of average working families, Jonathan. They're flying high on campaign contributions, courting by lobbyists, and the imperative to get themselves re-elected until they can retire to a cushy job or four on corporate boards.
I would like to see every prospective nominee for political office have to spend at least a month living at below-poverty-level conditions as a prerequisite of candidacy. Might open a few eyes to reality below the rarefied 1%.
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