{"id":4069,"date":"2011-02-12T08:44:42","date_gmt":"2011-02-12T16:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=4069"},"modified":"2011-02-12T08:44:42","modified_gmt":"2011-02-12T16:44:42","slug":"how-republicans-just-screwed-us-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2011\/02\/12\/how-republicans-just-screwed-us-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"How Republicans Just Screwed US Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Barack Obama caved in on the Republican tax cut bonus for millionaires and billionaires, he said it was necessary, because Republicans were holding unemployed workers hostage.  I said he was wrong, because Republicans would just delay screwing US workers until the first opportunity of the new year.  I was right.  This is what the Republicans are up to now.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\"GOPhelp\"After months of working on<\/a> anything but<\/a> jobs legislation, GOP lawmakers got an opportunity this week to actually address the crisis. Tomorrow, the Trade Assistance Adjustment (TAA) Program and the Health Care Tax Credit (HCTC) will expire<\/strong>. TAA<\/a> helps retrain and re-employ workers who have lost their jobs due to foreign trade. HCTC<\/a> provides compensation to help unemployed workers afford private health insurance. While 72 percent of Americans oppose<\/a> cutting such critical unemployment assistance, the GOP is seemingly insistent that it expire.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, the House GOP\u2019s plan to extend TAA was pulled from the House floor due to conservative backlash against the government \u201cgetting too involved in the economy.\u201d<\/strong> That left the typically obstinate Senate as the last hope to extend the much-needed aid. Together on the Senate floor yesterday, Sens. Robert Casey (D-PA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) <\/strong>offered<\/strong><\/a> three different proposals to extend both benefits for 18 months, 4.5 months, and just the HCTC for 18 months by unanimous consent<\/strong>. However, each time, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) was there to block it. <\/p>\n

Increasingly incensed over each of Barrasso\u2019s obstructions, Brown expressed anger uncommon on the Senate floor at Barrasso\u2019s final objection to the HCTC extension. Offended by the apparent GOP hypocrisy in enjoying taxpayer-funded benefits while refusing to aid those \u201cwho don\u2019t dress like this everyday\u201d and \u201cdon\u2019t make $170,000 a year,\u201d he blasted Senators for \u201cturning our backs\u201d on the American worker<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n

…Watch it:<\/p>\n