Todays news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): Unemployment: Nearly 1,300 New Hampshire residents and 650 Vermonters were among 1.3 million Americans whose extended unemployment benefits stopped at the end of 2013. State employment agencies are still trying to count the number of unemployed who are joining or soon will join their ranks once they reach their 26th week of state unemployment relief. Sen. Bernie Sanders said another compromise bill could reach the Senate floor this week, but six or seven Republicans would be needed to achieve the 60 votes required to forestall a filibuster. “When President (George W.) Bush was in office, we extended (benefits) five times,” Sanders said. “Five times. Now that Obama is president, the Republicans are against it unless it is ‘paid for.’ They want to gut the Affordable Care Act, child-care tax credits, Social Security disability,” Sanders told the Valley News. Veterans: A bill that Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Sanders has introduced aims to extend health care and dental care for veterans as well as access to education,” WBZ-AM in Boston reported. It would also avoid the recent 1 percent cut in cost-of-living benefits for working-age military retirees. As for covering the roughly $30 billion dollar cost, Sanders wants to tap the fund used to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hopes to bring the measure to the Senate floor as soon as possible. Continue reading here: sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/012614
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 20:43:08 +0000