Amendment 4301 to HR 4213, which would have extended the time for unemployed Americans to file for additional benefits, was shot down in the Senate today, 45-52.  Despite the unquestionable need for the unemployment extension, Senators thought differently and voted against the spirit of the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010.

The Senate motion on 4301 to concur with House Amendment, which required a 3/5 majority, was rejected at 10:45 AM today, June 16, 2010.  What this means for many Americans nearing the end of their tier is that there will be no extension beyond the end date for benefits which they are currently receiving.  For many, June 12, 2010 will be the last benefit week.

Despite the horrendous unemployment rates across the country, the Senators deemed it OK to vote against the only lifeline that many Americans have.  Those same Americans are questioning why it is acceptable to send money to assist countries such as Haiti, to spend billions of their own money to bail out wall street, and to waste trillions on foreign wars when the citizens of this country are on the brink.

Other Americans are beginning to question the necessity of foreign workers in this country.  The spirit of the H1 and other temporary foreign worker visas goes against the realities of today.  We have a glut of fully qualified employees, and anyone arguing that we have a shortage cannot factually support that position. A tech employee from California suggests that the country shut down all such visa bureaus, thereby paving the way for citizens to compete for jobs that heretofore have been enjoyed exclusively by foreign work visa workers. Is it too much to ask employers to employ their own citizens?

Regretfully, our own government seems unwilling to watch out for their own brothers and sisters.  Here, sadly, is the Roll Call Votes for the failed 4301 amendment that would have extended unemployment benefits for Americans:

YEAs —45 (The Good Guys)

Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs —52 (The Disappointments)

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bayh (D-IN)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brown (R-MA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
LeMieux (R-FL)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Risch (R-ID)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Webb (D-VA)
Wicker (R-MS)

Not Voting ??? 3 (The Do Your Job and Vote Already List)

Byrd (D-WV)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)

Tags: 4213, 4301, senate, unemployment