Senate Jobs Bill and State Budgets

Posted on June 25, 2010 by townsend

• Aid bill’s defeat a blow to states, By Daniel Malloy and Tracie Mauriello, June 25, 2010, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “After failing to garner the needed 60 votes Thursday, U.S. Senate leaders prepared to scrap a bill that would have extended aid to states, unemployment benefits and a host of tax provisions, potentially blowing an $850 million hole in Gov. Ed Rendell’s budget. The cloture vote to end debate and advance the measure fell short, 57-41, with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., joining a united Republican caucus to oppose more spending as Congress becomes increasingly debt-conscious. Lawmakers in Harrisburg, backed up against their yearly budget deadline, had one wary eye on Washington on Thursday…”
• Granholm: Senate’s funding failure will force devastating cuts, By Chris Christoff, June 25, 2010, Detroit Free Press: “Gov. Jennifer Granholm said today Michigan faces ‘devastating’ cuts in unemployment benefits, health care for low-income families and possibly funding for colleges and local communities as a result of the U.S. Senate’s failure Thursday to enact a $16-billion funding measure for states. Without its share, Michigan will lose extended unemployment benefits for 87,000 people starting July 1, and won’t receive more than $500 million in federal Medicaid payments that the administration had counted on for next year’s budget. Granholm called U.S. Senate Republicans obstructionists for blocking the funding bill, despite pleas from 47 governors who face deficits or large numbers of unemployed residents…”