Senate

Bill Also Includes Measures to Extend Homebuyer Tax Credit and Help Businesses to Offset Losses Incurred During Recession

November 4, 2009 -- Washington, DC - With millions of Americans still struggling to find work in this difficult economy, the U.S. Senate today took action to assist those in need by extending unemployment insurance benefits for up to 20 weeks. The legislation, which passed the Senate by a vote of 98 to 0, will also expand and extend the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit passed earlier this year and allow businesses to offset losses incurred during the recession. Whitehouse, a cosponsor of the unemployment provision, released the following statement following today's vote:    » read more »

Committee Democrats Forced to Pass Landmark Bill Without Republican Participation

November 5, 2009 -- Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) today passed landmark climate change legislation to combat global warming and invest in a new clean energy economy. Because the Republican members of the Committee declined to propose amendments to the legislation and boycotted the Committee's meetings to consider the bill, the Committee approved EPW Committee Chairman Boxer's "mark" of the legislation without amendment.    » read more »

Measure Includes Tax Credits for First-time Homebuyers, Small Businesses

November 4, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) today praised the Senate passage of legislation to extend unemployment insurance for up to 14 additional weeks for jobless workers in all 50 states. A cosponsor of the legislation, Webb has repeatedly called on his colleagues to swiftly pass the much-needed extension that would provide relief for the nearly 2 million Americans, including 13,000 Virginians, who will exhaust their unemployment benefits by the end of the year.    » read more »

November 4, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today issued the following statement regarding the Senate’s long-awaited passage of an Unemployment Insurance benefits extension following weeks of partisan delays:

“While I remain outraged that Senate Republicans decided to engage in nearly a month of political gamesmanship before working with us to extend unemployment benefits for millions of laid-off American workers, I’m relieved that aid for these families is around is finally the corner.

“In New Mexico, more than 150,000 residents are jobless as a result of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Now we will finally be able to send them a financial lifeline to keeping roofs over their heads and food on their tables.    » read more »

In Speech on Senate Floor, Udall Points to Colorado Example of Coordinated, Streamlined Care, which Saves Money and Emphasizes Ways to Keep Patients Healthy

November 5, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mark Udall, delivered a speech on the Senate floor emphasizing ways health insurance reform would reduce wasteful spending and increase efficiency - putting the focus of the health care system back on patients where it belongs. The U.S. spends over $2 trillion per year on health care - nearly one fifth of the economy - yet between 30 and 50 percent of these dollars are not contributing to better patient health. That's unsustainable and unhealthy, Senator Udall said.    » read more »

Legislation also provides tax refunds to struggling Michigan businesses, extends and expands homebuyer tax credit

November 04, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced Senate passage of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2009, which she co-sponsored. The legislation will extend long-term unemployment benefits in Michigan by 20 weeks. This bill also provides tax refunds to businesses that have been hit by the economic recession, and extends and expands the successful first-time homebuyer tax credit.    » read more »

Sense of the Senate Resolution seeks to bring sunshine into the courtroom

Washington, D.C. -- November 5, 2009 -- Today, Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), along with seven colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced a Sense of the Senate Resolution urging the Supreme Court to permit television coverage of open Court proceedings. The resolution seeks to open the Supreme Court’s doors so that more Americans can see the process by which the Court reaches critical decisions of law that affect this country and everyday Americans.

The resolution is cosponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).    » read more »

Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act helps struggling Americans, first-time homebuyers and grows the economy

Washington, D.C. -- November 4, 2009 -- Today, Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) commented on the passage of the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act. The bill provides 14 weeks of additional Federal-State Unemployment Insurance Program (UI) benefits to all states. In addition, it provides another six weeks of benefits to recipients in states such as Pennsylvania where unemployment exceeds 8.5 percent. The bill passed the Senate unanimously.    » read more »

Legislation includes homebuyer tax credit extension, help for struggling American businesses

November 4, 2009 -- (Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a leader in the fight to extend unemployment benefits to jobless workers in all 50 states and co-author of the Senate compromise amendment, today applauded Senate passage of a fair extension of unemployment insurance to jobless workers in New Hampshire and across the country.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, November 4 – The Senate voted late this afternoon for a 14-week extension of unemployment insurance benefits. The extension would help about 1,800 Vermonters whose benefits were to have run out by the end of this year.

“Winter is coming and in Vermont and around the country we simply cannot leave families in the lurch without any source of income,” said Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Sanders said workers who have lost their jobs during the worst recession since the 1930s have remained unemployed an average of 27 weeks – longer than at any time since the end of World War II.

The House later this week is expected to finish action on the bill and send it to President Obama. The measure also would expand an $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers.    » read more »

November 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, November 5 – The Senate environment committee today overcame a Republican boycott and voted 11 to 1 for a sweeping climate bill that would cut greenhouse gases from power plants and factories by 83 percent by 2050.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the panel’s Green Jobs and the New Economy Subcommittee, was an active participant in crafting the legislation.

More aggressive than a House-passed global warming bill, the Senate measure also calls for a 20 percent reduction by 2020 in emissions that cause climate change.    » read more »

November 4, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – In a positive step for Rhode Island's economy, the U.S. Senate today approved legislation championed by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) to immediately extend unemployment benefits for up to 20 weeks for more than 4,000 Rhode Island job seekers who exhausted their current benefits. The Reid-Baucus-Reed-Shaheen legislation extends unemployment insurance benefits to jobless Americans in every state by up to 14 weeks, with an additional 6 weeks possible in high unemployment states like Rhode Island with rates at or above 8.5%.    » read more »

November 5, 2009 -- Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson today voted to provide additional benefits to thousands of unemployed Nebraskans, and to extend the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit that already has helped more than 10,000 Nebraskans buy homes and created hundreds of jobs in new home construction in Nebraska.

“Although Nebraska’s unemployment rate is lower than many states, more than 13,000 Nebraskans are receiving emergency unemployment benefits now, and many could be helped by the temporary extension we approved today,” said Nelson. “These benefits are a critical lifeline for those pushed out of work by the recession.    » read more »

Legislation provides additional 20 weeks of benefits for laid off New Jersey workers, while aiming to spur home sales and supporting businesses

November 4, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – This evening, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to extend unemployment insurance for laid off workers. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) was a co-sponsor of the legislation and voted in favor of its passage. The bill extends benefits by 14 weeks in all states and by 20 weeks in states with unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or higher, which includes New Jersey, and is expected to assist tens of thousands of New Jerseyans whose benefits have expired. The    » read more »

A column by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill

November 4, 2009 -- Thousands of Missouri seniors, like my mother Betty Anne, rely on Medicare for their health care. However, if Medicare remains on the same course as it is today, it will run out of money by 2017 and seniors may be without coverage.

Additionally, without adequate reforms, Medicare is on track to cut payments to physicians by as much as 21 percent starting next year, which may cause some doctors to drop Medicare patients.

By rooting out more than $400 billion in identified waste, fraud, and inefficiencies, we can make sure Medicare remains solvent for years to come, ensure doctors are paid fairly so that seniors can keep their doctors, and not cut benefits for seniors.    » read more »