“Extenders” Delayed Another Week

Despite the pain and agony additional delay is inflicting on every American citizen out of work and looking for it, Congress has delayed action for an additional week on legislation extending unemployment benefits for folks whose checks ran out weeks or months ago. The “extenders” of unemployment and COBRA benefits, Bush era tax breaks for individuals and small businesses, and other essentials for the survival of the economically disadvantaged, was supposed to be put to a vote last week. Neither house of Congress is prepared to act, in spite of the fact that the last temporary extension of these provisions expires over the Memorial Day weekend.