PHOENIX - Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky has repeatedly blocked a $10 million United States Senate bill to extend unemployment benefits.
Those benefits expired Sunday but Bunning is not the only opposition on the Senate floor on Monday. Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl said “unemployment compensation is a disincentive for unemployed Americans to seek new work" since they are already getting paid for doing nothing.
Nevertheless, the tens of thousands of Arizonans who draw an unemployment check have a different perspective. They say they are looking for work but just have not gotten any offers yet.
One person 3TV spoke to says, “Unfortunately everybody's going through same situation and it's just hard.” Another person looking for work adds, “It's been very difficult, even people with experience, college degrees, you name it. We're having a difficult time.”
It is about to get more difficult for the bulk of Arizona's 175,000 unemployed individuals because the federal extension of 73 weeks on top of the state’s 26 weeks has expired.
The Senate allowed that additional benefits expire Sunday making this week’s unemployment check the last for 82,000 Arizonans.
Anyone who applies for unemployment this week will get $25 less than before, which is frustrating for people who would rather work than count on unemployment but cannot find a job.
The Senate has a shot at passing the extension again on Tuesday but republicans are concerned the $10 billion measure would add to the federal deficit.
