Democrats Playing Games With Unemployment Benefits

Earlier this week the US House held a vote on extending unemployment benefits by 13 weeks.

The vote on the proposal was 279 in favor and 141 opposed, which would seem to be a win. But instead the headlines read ‘House Fails To Extend Jobless Benefits’ or more ominously  ‘Republicans Block Longer Benefits’.

Now how would this be possible ? Isn’t a majority vote a win ?

Well not when you have the House leadership playing games with the vote. They brought the vote up under special House rules which required not a majority vote but instead a 2/3rds vote in  favor. Why would they do this  you might ask. The answer is simple, they wanted to play politics.

There is an old saying in Washington that explains this… Do you want the bill or do you want the issue ?

In this case the Democrats wanted to get the issue for the November elections. They knew that on a straight up and down majority vote that many Republicans would vote in favor of the bill (in fact almost 50 did). Many of these would be members in marginal districts while many who voted no would be in safe Republican districts. This would prevent a campaign against these members.

But by voting this way, now the Democrats can run ads in  November saying ‘Republicans voted against extending benefits and your Congressman is one of them. The fact that this particular member may have voted yes on the proposal is lost in the shuffle.

Today they will be voting on a straight majority up and down vote, so the bill will pass.

Just in the interests of fairness, I am well aware that the GOP pulled the same tricks when  they were in charge, I highlight the Democratic effort because it happened now.