Unemployment Extensions to Millions Still Locked Up in Political Games

Jobless benefits suddenly ended for some laid-off workers, Medicare payments to doctors were delayed and 2,000 federal transportation workers were sent home Monday in a spending dispute tinged with election-year politics.

Adding its voice to the flap, the White House said it was trying to “shame” Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky for single-handedly blocking the $10 billion extension. Bunning said he opposed the extension because it would add to the budget deficit, already projected to hit a record $1.56 trillion this year.

Most laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits won’t be affected — unless the impasse drags on — but those seeking payment extensions won’t be able to obtain them.

With the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 14.6 percent in December, Michigan’s jobless ranks far outstrip the nation, which has an average 9.7 percent jobless rate.

“We have the highest unemployment rate in the country, and middle-class families are struggling to put food on the table as workers continue searching for new jobs and train for new careers,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, said in a statement. “These workers and their families cannot afford to wait for help.”