Obama thinks he´s so smart making the GOP take the blame for next year´s tax hikes, but this policy could blow up in his face.

Since there is a max an minimum of benefits one can receive based on ones salary. I suggest that after the benefits run out, an then given an extension, the minimum should be paid. This would give folks incentive to find work.

Democrats believe in jobless benefits, not jobs.

It is either off the cliff now or off Mt. Everest later. If the Republican House will hold firm they will have far more power and influence during the upcoming term.

The simple truth is if the Federal Government is going to continue to spend and borrow then we need to have EVERYONE paying more taxes. Only then will we look at REAL spending cuts. I spent 21 years in the military and I can tell you that cutting defense by 10% is very doable as it is for every other part of the Federal Gov´t. Bring those automatic cuts on.

Why do people here presume that the unemployed are lazy? I know people who do not qualify for unemployment because they are young and haven´t worked for one employer long enough to qualify for unemployment. (Many employers are masters at laying people off a couple of weeks before they qualify for benefits.) These folks go out every single day looking for work. Sometimes they get a few days of contract work here, or a temp-to-hire that never gets to hire there. But there are plenty of twentysomethings who can´t get a start on their careers because there is so much competition for beginner jobs from laid-off people with 10 to 20 years of experience.

No. 99 weeks not enough? Welcome to the Obamonomy.

According to the genius Chuck Schumer, this will actually stimulate the economy. The sad part is that many people believe him, and many others don´t care.

The 99 week thingee is only for those who started a couple years ago, at just the right moment, in the right state, with the right job history.

The rest of us....I mean the rest of them are still subject to the byzantine schedules and red tape and beuro-speak attendant to all federal "Help".

BTW- If you need a grumpy,old,opinionated,curmudgeon for light duty with a six figure salary.....call me.

After 99 weeks it´s no longer "unemployment benefits", it´s welfare.

The more people on gov´t "benefits" means the gov´t will need more people to over see the distribution of these "benefits". Eventually we all will either be working for the gov´t or receiving all those "free benefits". And of course most will vote for the dems because they are the ones passing out the goodies. This is insane.

#5, start your own business and then tell me how bad employers are. Many unemployed refuse to move to find work. Refuse to take low paying jobs until the better job shows up. For every bad employer you can cite I will tell ya about 10 bad employees.

So we need to tax those that have really good jobs so we can give that money away to those without jobs. I hate my goobernment.

The last legislative act on the debt limit was a extension of all the Bush tax rates, an extension of unemployment benefits, an extension of some Stimulus credits that got paid to low income workers not paying any taxes, the Sequester and an extension of the Payroll Tax Holiday. Don´t negotiate, you already have a deal. 90% of the revenue come from the non-rich. Spending for the military and entitlements will be cut by 1 trillion. For a year they have run on raising taxes and have already signed the law. Don´t let them off the hook.

How come no one talks about jobs...that is the only way to even start to fix this mess....all the dems want to talk about is what you can get by doing nothing....

Nothing wrong with going off a cliff if the taxpayers are there with free money. /s

And who is paying for this? Without our permission?

No #9, it´s welfare long before 99 weeks!

"extension of the Payroll Tax Holiday"

That´s not a tax holiday, that´s not paying into SSI; just a quicker way to fail Social Security.

What #11 & #12 said. I agree that welfare begins BEFORE 99 weeks are up. Of course there are people who cannot find jobs, but there are also more than a few out here who refuse to work as long as a check arrives each month from people who DO work for a living.