AP: "Unemployment Rates Rise In Half Of US States";

Today in Washington, D.C. - Sept. 21, 2012: The Senate reconvened at noon today. Last night, the Senate voted 67-31 to agree to the motion to proceed to H.J. Res. 117, the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through March. So still pending is H.J. Res. 117, the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through March. If an agreement is not reached on votes, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has scheduled a cloture vote on the bill for 1 AM tonight (tomorrow morning).

Reid rejected a previous agreement he put forward, since he’s now trying to hold up the Senate by demanding a vote on a bill to help a vulnerable Democrat, as the Weekly Standard reports today.  Also in the mix to be negotiated are potential votes on a proposal from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) concerning foreign aid funding levels (S. 3576) and an Iran sanctions bill (S.J. Res. 41)

The House reconvened at 9:00 AM.  Today, the House continued debate on and passed at 12:12 PM, HR 3409 (233 - 175) which limits the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations before December 31, 2013, under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. This means that the House voted to stop the "War on Coal." Thirteen (13) Democrats stood with 214 Republicans and voted to stand up for coal and affordable electricity. Phil Kerpen, President, American Commitment, responded to the vote, "American Commitment activists have now sent over 100,000 letters and emails to Congress through www.WarOnCoal.com urging an end to the War on Coal. We commend the House for doing the right thing, but the failure of the Senate to act makes clear that the future of affordable, reliable electricity depends on electing a new president who will end the War on Coal, a new Senate willing to stand up to out of control regulators, or both."

Other than speeches, not further action is expected today The House will recess until 10: AM, Tuesday, Sept. 25th. Many of the members of Congress are already headed back to their Congressional Districts to campaign.

Yesterday the House began debated on HR 3409. In addition, the House passed:
H.J. Res. 118 (250 - 164) — "Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of Family Assistance of the Administration for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to waiver and expenditure authority under section 1115 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315) with respect to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program."
HR 5987  (237-180) — A bill to establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington
HR 6429 (257 - 158)  —  A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to promote innovation, investment, and research in the United States, to eliminate the diversity immigrant program, and for other purposes.

The AP reports today, “Unemployment rates rose in more than half of U.S. states last month, the latest evidence that hiring remains tepid across the country. The Labor Department said Friday that rates increased in 26 states. . . . Unemployment also rose in seven of the 11 key swing states in this year's presidential election. . . . The rate in Michigan rose to 9.4 percent from 9 percent. The rate ticked up a tenth of a point to 12.1 percent in Nevada, which has the highest unemployment in the nation. . . . Unemployment rates also rose in five other battleground states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa.”

And earlier this week, we learned from The Wall Street Journal that “[t]he income of the typical U.S. family fell or was flat in almost every state last year.” Specifically, the WSJ reported, “The median annual household income—the point on the income scale at which half earn more and half earn less—fell in 18 states in 2011 from a year earlier after adjusting for inflation, according to a Census Bureau report . . . . The sharpest drop occurred in Nevada, where median income fell by 6%. The median fell by 3.8% in California and by 2.9% in Arizona and Florida. . . . Nationally, the median income dropped by 1.3% to $50,502 in 2011. A separate report last week reported a slightly different median income level, but either way, the number is at a level last seen in the mid-1990s, continuing a long period of stagnant or falling wages since an all-time peak in 1999.”

As the ARRA News previously reported: Unemployment Is Growing - Incomes Are Shrinking! But, President Obama Says His ‘Biggest Failure’ Was Not Making An Effort On Immigration. With unemployment growing, incomes shrinking, record numbers of Americans in poverty, and a federal debt now exceeding $16 trillion, President Obama was asked by Univision yesterday what he considered to be his biggest failure. Obama replied, “[M]y biggest failure so far is we haven't gotten comprehensive immigration reform done, so we're going to be continuing to work on that. But it's not for lack of trying or desire.”

How out of touch is President Obama to the economic realities in this country? As Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday, “We have got a $16 trillion debt, millions out of work, the biggest tax hike in history looming, and our military faces crippling across-the-board cuts. The nation and the world need strong American leadership and robust political institutions to meet these challenges, but the President with a lot of help from the Democrat-controlled Senate has deliberately chosen inaction.”

---

Tags: Washington, D.C., Barack Obama, higher unemployment, lower incomes, democrats Senate delays, house bills, coal mining, electricity, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!