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Congressman Paul Tonko made the following statement today after Republican Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning again blocked the passage of emergency legislation to extend a number of programs:

“It’s sad that the nation’s unemployed, transportation workers, uninsured and seniors are being held hostage by one member of the United States Senate,” said Congressman Paul Tonko.  “If this is the level of respect Senate Republicans are displaying towards their public obligations as elected officials it’s a shame.

“In the greater Capital Region and Mohawk Valley 600 people have lost their unemployment benefits and we can add another 500 people to that list if nothing is done by the end of this week. These unemployment benefits are a lifeline to people who have been stung hard by this very deep and long recession. This is not the time to play political games. It is time for Republicans in the Senate to focus on the needs of the American People, who want nothing more than to pay their bills and put food on the table.”

The emergency legislation, which was passed by the House last week, includes a 30-day extension of a range of programs that expired Sunday night, including unemployment insurance, help for unemployed workers in paying for health care (COBRA), small business loan guarantees, the highway bill, and flood insurance. It also delays cuts in Medicare physician payments to make sure that seniors have reliable access to their doctors.

A study by the National Employment Law Project reports that 85,647 people in New York State alone will lose their unemployment benefits by the end of March if the extension is not approved.

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