Washington, D.C. — Both U.S. senators from Mississippi voted no on Tuesday for an extension of emergency unemployment benefits.
Collectively, the three-month extension did pass a vote in the Senate, clearing its first stumbling block, and will ultimately head to the House if it passes the chamber.
Both Republicans, Sen. Thad Cochran and Sen. Roger Wicker voted along party lines with only a few Republicans in the Senate voting yes.
“I do not support borrowing billions of dollars on the backs of our children to pay for vastly expanded unemployment benefits when there are better alternatives to helping people get back on their feet,” said Wicker. “For instance, Obamacare continues to be a major culprit behind the reluctance of job creators to begin hiring again. Until this disastrous law is replaced with market-driven and workable solutions, it will continue to be a burden on the millions of Americans looking for work.”
The bill would reinstate benefits for almost 1.3 million Americans, but at a cost of $6.4 billion most Republicans want cuts in other parts of the federal budget to offset the big price tag before throwing their support behind it.
