I think for the moment of Pope Francis' call to all of us to extend our selves in new ways to assist those on the peripheries of our society. Those out of jobs, in an economy lacking jobs, especially those capable of supporting families with real wages, come to mind. More than a million Americans have lost their unemployment benefits, as meager as these are, because the Republican Party refuses to extend these benefits. They say these "handouts" have gone on too long. Now they are saying they might consider extending them if spending cuts, say, were made in health benefits to the needy.
Some 1.3 million people who have been out of work and receiving benefits for longer than 26 weeks (or less, in some states) are not set to lose those benefits immediately.
Then, over the course of the year, other unemployed workers will fall out of the program once they hit 26 weeks (or less). All told, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that 4.9 million people will get less unemployment aid than they would under an extension.
They hypocrisy of the Republican Party knows no limits. The GOP voted 5 times to extend unemployment benefits under the George Bush Administration. Under the Obama Administration there's just not enough money in the pot. These blatant politics speak poorly of our system. They speak even more poorly of those callous party members who never lack a good meal or worry for the welfare of their children. Shame, shame, shame on the GOP. The very same Republicans who voted for two wars over many years without batting an eye cannot find another dollar to assist the poor in their own country.
