U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., voted against an extension of unemployment benefits, giving some yet another reason to push for his Democratic challenger to unseat him in November.
“After enabling the failed economic policies from the Bush era that left behind the worst recession since the Great Depression, isn’t it time for Senator Burr to take some responsibility and help North Carolina families weather this storm until jobs become available?” Executive Director of Americans United For Change Tom McMahon stated in a press release.
“They say Richard Burr is a ‘do-nothing Senator,’ but if he won’t help — will he at least get out of the way?”
Republican senators successfully filibustered the unemployment extension for the third time in three weeks.
Since the last extension ran out at the end of May, 1.3 million Americans have lost benefits. Now, an additional 200,000 people who have been out of a job for more than six months could lose their benefits each week.
U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., voted for the $33.9 billion bill that would have extended the Emergency Unemployment Program through the end of November.
North Carolina’s unemployment rate, at 10.3 percent in May according to the N.C. Employment Security Commission, is higher than the national average of 9.7 percent.
When Burr first voted to filibuster the bill in March, 250,000 North Carolinians were at risk to lose benefits, reports say.
“Sen. Burr supports extending unemployment insurance, COBRA, and other important programs, but he believes we ought to pay for these spending increases rather than just add them to the debt,” Ward said in a March Charlotte Observer article.
