EUI: Senate Shell Game

Contrary to misleading headlines, the Senate, unlike the House, did NOT pass a "Tier 5" EUI extension. All it did was extend the date for being eligible back a few months.

First, the facts. The jobs bill doesn't "extend" coverage. What it does is extend some of the deadlines so that people who were laid off later in 2009 and into 2010 can still qualify for the extra unemployment benefits provided in last year's stimulus bill.

But once someone has moved through the various tiers of coverage (which is combined with a Federal/State Extended Benefits program), you're out of luck. At best, after 99 weeks your unemployment coverage is over and this bill doesn't address that.

Which makes the various Republican talking points about creating an additional permanent welfare state even more ludicrous. Even if that were the case, it's a welfare state that only last 99 weeks. Which isn't much of a financial crutch.

All of this might be a surprise to cable news network viewers, who hear the phrase "extended unemployment" thrown around in the same haphazard way as other favorite political phrases like "death panels."

The news coverage gives the impression that this bill gives the long-term unemployed even more money, and that is simply not the case.

However, the House DID pass an a bill which did include an extra "tier," and it is possible the Senate will go along with it, although it might not happen before Easter break:

Several people have emailed me the news that they have called the offices of their local Senator, and have been assured that a separate bill addressing extra weeks of coverage will be brought up in the Senate as early as next week. I've heard that as well, but I'm hesitant to rely on that, since no one has any firm details. Also, the reason the additional weeks weren't included in this jobs bill is that adding more weeks is a tougher sell to Republicans and conservative Democrats. There is also an Easter break coming up soon. So even if a new bill is proposed next week, getting it passed and signed by the President before April is going to be a tough battle.

If the Senate is so stupid and out of touch it ignores the suffering of millions of longterm unemployed, and on the eve of the midterms, then they deserve all of the outrage leveled at them.