Progress Illinois

Ugh, if this goes till midnight tonight, I'll be long asleep and pick it up again tomorrow morning.

Friends – we understand that many of you may be under the impression that once the unemployment extension bill is passed, it won’t apply to anyone who has already run out of benefits. Let us assure you that is NOT correct. If you have exhausted your full range of federally funded benefits before the passage of this bill, you WILL be eligible for these additional weeks. In that sense, the bill is retroactive in its reach.

However, in another important aspect, the bill is NOT retroactive. You will not receive a lump sum payment dating back to the time when you exhausted benefits. The benefits will only be paid going forward. We know this creates a huge hardship for many of you who exhausted benefits weeks or months ago, and it is one of the things we have been speaking about most strongly as this bill has been delayed time and time again. We know you are falling deeper into debt with each passing week, and we are sorry to say that there is just no possible way that these benefits could have ever been designed to be paid retroactively. However, once the bill is passed, you will know that you will have an additional 14 or 20 weeks to depend on going forward, and we hope that provides you with some measure of reassurance.

Sincerely,
National Employment Law Project

I LOVE this guy from Vermont!! YOU tell'em!!!

Sen. Bernie Sanders, you're awesome. You hit all the points right on their heads. Bravo!

GO BERNIE GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We thank you!

Thanks Josh! ;)

yes I'm not saying we don't need unemployment payments I'm just saying use your head and yes my benefits were exhausted recently also.

funny I write a different point of view comment and they pull it. Don't see it on here. I guess this is a bias is site also.

hey, the repubs say this can b done in an hour if they let the amendments be heard and voted, why not right? vote the amendments in and lets do this already, at this point who cares, we need money now, or at least thats what my landlord tells me.

I don't think it's "bias" i think it's more about not hatin on eachother... just the Senate...lol We are all in a very hard spot, and I agree in a way with you, had a lady last week upset cuz she didnt know if she would have spending money on her trip to Disneyland... I mean WTF. But we need to try and eep eachother upbeat, cuz this whole thing is killin everyones hope... well at least in my opinion...

OMG.. HEALTH CARE AGAIN.... o_0

"WE have to pull together" hang in there.
this is going to be a little while.

"Breath".

Ummm.. not to get off subject here BUT... everytime they do roll.. is that Mr. Ohkaka that they are sayin??? makes me giggle eveytime...

ok so whats gone on so far today? Finally able to drag myself outta bed to find out. Im sure Im sick from all the stress this is causing us all

Lovin:

lol I thought I was the only one who laughed when everytime she say's Mr.caca!!LOL

Why does she say that??? I need to know? Thats funny!!

I heard that, for those who have already exhausted their benefits "at the time of passing of the bill", that those who live in states where the unemployment rate is 8.7% or higher, that these are the only ones who will be eligible to start receiving benefits again. If your benefits run out, at the time of bill-passing, and you live in a state where the unemployment rate is less than 8.7%, you will not be eligible for this extension.

)-:

NELP -

Thank you kindly for that announcment, it goes to say that everyone is posting varies of comments, links, and news with different facts. This leaves new people just signing on or just reading confused to what is fact and what is fiction.

We can count on you NELP!

Thanks again,

-Chris

hey, that troll guy who is commenting is giving falsr info on purpose to get a rise out of u guys, i lost my benefits, but not my sense of humor, to me its funny, especially when those who get duped reply really scared, just keep an eye out b4 u respond or get worried

what the hell is this rocket toy crap! what is this crap?

So whats goin on? Are they still discussing and working on this bill?
Does anyone know if it will be passed today? and or when it will be signed sent to President to be signed?

Does this Florida senator have a point he's going to make in our near futures?

Kevin, do u believe what ur seeing right now with the florida guy and his toys? whats he even talking about?

I thought they passed the bill already. I knew I heard wrong, it would just be too good of them to do so. I guess I am frustrated with the games they are playing with the lives of people. I hate feeling like a beggar. I want a job. I have been out of work since Feb. 2008 and I am still out of work and exhausted my 3rd (FED-ED) extension last month. God only knows what's going to happen next month when they start eviction proceedings on me.

I was really hoping that they had passed the extension already so I won't have to be in the streets with my child. I can't even get housing assistance because the waiting list is so long. I am just done. I so wish these people in our government knew what people are going through. Why do we have to beg?

OK, i hadda go AFK for a minute... whats up with this guy and his hubble spew??? what did i miss?? Does this have anything to do with anything??? o.0

none of you have hit the point
register to vote
express your thoughts with your votes
13 senators against
vote the game player busters out of office
i would quess 60% of the folks bitching didnt vote last time
one vote does count
all the people who are running out of benefits make sure to register and and use your vote against those who held this up and voted against
they know their districts
how many registered
how many voted last election
who they are
by not voting they have the edge they can get away with this

GET OUT THE VOTE

HUNGRY IN FLORIDA

Does anyone know what's going on right now? Are they going to vote on this bill today? I am so tired of this! It seems our crys for help are now being heard!

so i live in florida and have about 2 and 1/3 payments left coming which should get me to the end of NOV do you think they will have it by then??

Chris,

YES,YES,YES!!!!!

We're in this mess because over the years as voters we've dropped the ball. Let's not make that mistake EVER again. We need to be on top of things!

Thank you so much mr. Dodd... I appriciate every word you are saying to these other senators! Everyone on this page that is out of work does too! :-) TEL 'EM! GET RED WITH 'EM!!

(I'm from KY so we talk a little different! lol)

"I CAN'T WAIT TO VOTE"

In South Dakota you only get 26 weeks of reg UI and 20 weels of Emergency unemployment compensation. I will run out of EUC
this week.Does anyone no If I will qualify fo the additional
14 weeks of ECU. And do I keep filing a claim every week

ANSWER PLEASE????

That is what happens when people become lazy and do not peacefully protest to defend their rights. In this country, people will protest fr4o animal rights before they protest for their own even if they have lost their jobs, thier homes, everything that they worked very hard to accomplish. Nothing will happen as long as people keep watching CSPAN and write ib blogs while doing absolutely nothing else to be heard by the clueless politicians. The politicians are not starving. They also know that they will not lose their positions just because of a few hundred thousands votes in the entire country. That is exactly why they do not care to pass this bill anytime soon.

Sadly it seems it will be weeks before some sort of UI extension bill is passed. If I see any UI benefit payment before Thanksgiving I will kiss a monkeys a$$ on national television.

If they ever vote on this bill it has to go back to the house for approval and then the presidents desk. right? How long after that will they mail the checks?

Thank you Sen. Durbin for trying to bring the conversation back on track!

Are they still talking about the extension at this time?

I think they are just talking about healthcare now

so what happened today..Did they vote or just talk about voting someday? when are they gonna vote and what kind of timeline is there before people actually receive their benefits.

Well-now, I'll be able to sleep now ?

It seems to me that the Republicans have a good point when it comes to funding the extension. Why take it out of the hides of businesses when there are ample unspent TARP funds that can be used? That is what Sen. Shaheen proposed when she first asked for all 50 states to be covered. Extending a tax on businesses is not going to encourage them to hire. From all the speeches I heard today, it sounds as if the Democrats allow that one amendment this whole sorry episode can finally be put to rest. I'm not defending certain Republicans' attitudes towards those who are suffering, just saying that maybe a little give by the Democrats would go a long way.

cmon josh where r u when u remove peoples blogs cuz u dont like them, u removed some of mine earlier and they werent even half this bad, u said it wasnt biased, we need ur censorship now

So what happens now? Doesn't the bill have to be sent for cloture? So when will they pass the bill and have it sent to the President? what is the next step? (Please no trolls and no stupid SPAM responses)

I hope this experience will serve as a hard lesson for us all. Also, for us to be aware as to what goes on in our government, how they procrastinate and take their time on serious issues. We will vote wisely next time and be in touch about what is happenoing in our country.
People do not need to suffer to get crumbs on the table, this money that they are talking about is nothing, they can easily pass this bill and help people keep their dignity and pride. Its wrong and inhumane. I feel for each and everyone that is going through this, hanging on to "maybe today is the day it gets passed". What a way to live.
I pray fr us all. God bless you all and let's all hope for the best and hope that we will not ever look down to anyone just because they don't have a job, money, house, car etc. People are suffering and it shouldn't be that way.

Did Durbin pass the emergency 30 hr vote for cloture? So now will they vote tomorrow on the measure?

We're turning on registration for the rest of the night, folks. Hopefully that will calm things down a bit. If you haven't signed up with us, you can do so here:

http://progressillinois.com/user

It did not take the senate this long to pass a check to Pakistan in the amount of 7.4 Billion dollars. Go Figure. Come on People rise up. I think it is time to camp out and eat Obamas first class menu, take a ride in my old Marine 1 and see if we can view the First ladies new Jewelry!! Let alone see if they shut the cable off at the White House. Cmon Rise UP!!

Dear NELP people, thanks for the explanation BUT!
The houses gave away 2 trillion dollars in a relative heart-beat to the banks, and they can't decide to give us the benefit
of an average of $300 per week? In the meantime the banks are killing us on interest rates and late fees on their credit cards. They're getting paid on both ends by the taxpayers. And why not make it truly retroactive. We're just going to hand it over to the credit card companies and banks anyway! These excessive rates and late fees were allowed by the republican party and now they are holding up the process of this extension? Capitalism thrives best on the poor and middle class spending $1.00 at a time, not on the obscene profits and salaries of the preditors controlling wall street.

well? how do we know if Durbin is going to force a vote?
We are all left out in the cold here on what will happen.

Sen Reid said this morning that they are going to pass this bill even if they have to work over time!

So, Reid said this in the morning, that means they will really work on this today, although i did not see it in today's senate schedule, they HAVE to work on this, the 30 hours are up today, i believe, they can't leave us hanging in misery until November 5th, NONONONONO WAY. please, anyone with more info post asap, i can't watch the cspan2 until my neighbor comes in at 12:00, my cable was disconnected for non payment, so will myinternet which is up on the 31st, thanks to all that keep coming here and posting their information, we are all in the same boat, we have to prevent it from sinking. 8-)

Just spoke with Reids office - with some assurance the aide said the "bill" will be voted on today or tomorrow. Not cloture but the actual bill. But of course we have been lied to before!! We Shall See!!

Mommy of 2. Thanks for calling any words of assurance is good to hear....thanks for calling...ALOHA

Another day of wondering, will it pass today? Im sooooo tired of having to do things I dont want to do just to get by! I cant belive they are still dragging their feet on this! while I have to wait on them, I am loosing my pride a little more each time I have to do crap that people should not have to do! HURRY UP ALREADY!

PLEASE GO to this link. i think you will feel a little better this morning. !!!!!!!

http://multimedia.play.it/m/audio/27127800/cnn-marketplace-update-10-29...

Praise Jesus!!!

I cannot go to that link where I am....what is it about please??

loved80s that is good to hear..thanks for the link..crossing my fingers....

"Thank You Lord"! "HOPE"

Great News!!

HURLEY, copy and paste the link on your browser address bar and hit ENTER, it will take you to it and you will feel LOTS BETTER, believe me. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HURLEY, do you have internet access at home? do it as soon as you get home.

The bottom line is this; this bill is going to pass and benefits for everyone will restart again. The only unknown is WHEN it will pass, and even then, I think we all have a good idea when - in the near future.

So, just try to relax a little and feel comfortable in the fact that, in the very near future, you WILL be getting your benefits again.

I hate to be a downer, but that story on CNN Marketplace refers to the successful cloture vote taken Tuesday evening. The actual bill has not yet been voted on. Hopefully, the information LoveD80s received from Sen. Reid's office will pan out. Please!

Jason W:

Do you mean the info MOMMY OF 2 recieved from Sen Reids Office?? At least that is what I read!

Lovely morning i see we are having.... o.0

Thanks Josh, keep the trolls away from here !

Hang in there everyone.. We have been riding this boat in some stormy waves. Hopefully that storm will be over so that you all can keep a roof over your heads and some food on the table. It sad to think the majority of that money will be going to credit card companies that I had to use to stay afloat for 3 months. The cycle never ends...

Keep the Faith, its all we have left!

I refuse to let this beat me!
The "Pity Party" is over in my house!

Does anyone have the schedule for today and know when they will be addressing the unemployment extension? I've been watching on and off and all I have seen is talk about health reform.

I am soo confused!?!? Didnt the House vote for a cloture? What is the next step now? Dont they have 30 hours to vote on this ? Are they off tomorrow, too?? Please someone explain?

roy be carful my brother. my cousin took a job that wasent going to last long and now he cant get the exstention! they didnt let him work long enough, it screws you up! if it aint going to last at least 3-4 months BEWARE, you wont get this exstention.

Buddy in Quincy is right. A friend of mine fell into this trap with the last extension and now he's out of work (again) and can't get benefits till his new benefit year starts in February!!

If you can afford to wait until after this bill passes and you start getting the new extension, do it. You can always take a short term temp job after that and put the benefits on "pause" while you're working. That way, when the short job ends your unemployment kicks back in.

Hope this was helpful.

does anyone know whats goin on today? are they going to be discussing this issue in the senate? will we get a vote or pass?

I went to an employment agency earlier this week because I'm getting desperate to find a job and I was told that employer's are holding it against people who've been unemployed over a year and don't want to hire them. I had a suspicion that that might be an issue but are you kidding me?!?! They're the ones who aren't hiring those of us who've been unemployed over a year so they're discriminating against the very thing they're creating. Has anyone else who's been unemployed over a year been told this or experienced this?

Saying you have been a full time student since your lay off, even online classes like University of Phoenix, sounds alot better than "unemployed". You are still working on this degree........get it?

I know you all wanting to hear good new, and want to know when will the vote be... I hate to say this but the vote is NOT happening today! I just saw it on C-Span 2! Now there talking next Tuesday!! I GIVE UP!! GOD HELP US!

Next Tuesday???? SERIOUSLY???? hmphhh

The Republicans love doing thier Abbot and Costello routine.

I thought they had to vote today because of dome 30 hour rule. WHy next tuesday. Is this really true? please anyone is this really true?

How much does that pay? I may need to look into that. does it hurt?

Yay Dick Durbin! I have met him and I like him. I like all our UPSTATE reps! :)

Only the first few pokes, after that it gets better, makes you feel like you got to poop though.

The bill hasn't passed yet. The 30 hrs on the original motion to proceed cloture is up and now they need to agree on amendments. If cloture is again invoked to limit debate on these, another 30 hr clock starts. Then the bill can at last be voted on after that.

Also, MODERATORS, can you please turn on registration permanently and do a better job of actual moderating?!?! Some of the recent posts are truly offensive and inappropriate.

Josh, Are you monitoring this, I will go somewhere else today this today is getting really disgusting.....

I think the recent cloture was to move the bill to debate. Not sure. I think there can be another cloture to move to a vote...anyone know if I have that right?

At this point I'm upset with both parties. Just agree on the amendments and move forward!! Seriously, this is my life line!!

Well if you live in South Carolina there is good news... check out this link.

http://www.wjbf.com/jbf/news/state_regional/south_carolina/article/sc_go...

Ummmm... I'm lost, what the hell are they talking about? o.0

Josh, Are you out there??? Please clean this up, this is really getting out of hand

Registration is now on. Sorry about the lack of moderation. We're still getting used to have this kind of comment traffic (a good problem to have!).

great job josh

How many more times can they delay this??
So now its Tuesday?
Whats the big hold up this time?

I still cant get over those #%*()_+^#$##&'s having a four day wknd while we all 'wait & see' once again. THIS IS AMERICA DAMMIT!!!

The Republicants want to make the President and his administration look bad. " Your stimulus didn`t work! " By dragging this out it helps make their point, although at a great cost in NEEDLESS human suffering. More repos, foreclosures, bankruptcy, evictions, desperation driven crime, suicide, etc.

That is called politics. Isn`t it fun?

We've got a new update posted here:

http://progressillinois.com/2009/10/29/gop-adds-new-roadblocks-to-ui-ext...

Unfortunately, as many of you already know, the bill is still being held up by the Republicans.

Well, to be fair...its not a four day weekend. Friday is for their personal office hours and travel. They ofter attend functions and events over weekends. And, Monday is usually reserved for committee business. So they don't have "the good life" the way many here would criticize them for.

How about closing this thread in favor of the new one then?

Consider it closed.