Congress on 11/5/09 decisively approved an extension of unemployment benefits for almost two million people out of work nearly a year or more reported the Associated Press by the Times Picayune dated 11/6/09. The U.S. House cleared the measure 403-12 after unanimous support in the U.S. Senate.
La. Representative Scalise was the only Louisiana House member who voted against the measure along with 11 other Republicans who voted no. The legislation also covered the expansion of the tax credit for homebuyers. A no vote is nothing new for Scalise who opposes most every thing that comes out of the Obama administration. He was a subject of one of my commentaries on April 27.
The Louisiana Workforce Commission said that 6,829 Louisiana residents as of Nov. 2 would be eligible for the extra 14 weeks of benefits provided under the bill. Scalise said the cost of the bill will only cause more Americans to lose their jobs. Scalise and Republicans are familiar with job loses because their party has a dismal record when it comes to creating jobs. Just ask former President George Bush.
Representative Scalise will also oppose any health-care reform that comes out of Congress that Democrats are in favor of. He is proving to be the next Newt Gingrich of the Republican party. That is not very encouraging for the people of Louisiana. The Republican party would like to see Obama fail like they wanted to see Clinton fail. They hate to see a Democrat be successful in moving the country forward and they will become more negative as the economy improves. Keep an eye on Scalise, he is one of those "ditto heads" who has mastered the "no" word.
