Tennessee’s Republican Senators voted to block legislation that extends federal unemployment benefits through May 5th. However their effort came up short.
Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker were two of 34 Republicans who voted against ending debate on the proposal.
The 9 billion dollar package will also pay for health benefits under COBRA and the national flood insurance program. Corker and other Republicans voted against moving forward, saying the plan would just add to an already high deficit.
“I mean politically, which is not usually what I think about, meaning that I try to delve in the substance of issues and I think you all know this but politically I would imagine that most people in my state would like to see us pay for things that we spend.”
Senator Alexander said in a statement he wants to extend benefits and make certain doctors who see Medicare patients are properly reimbursed, but without adding debt.
The National Employment Law Project estimates an average of 7 thousand people per week in Tennessee are exhausting their federal benefits as Congress debates the extension. The proposal is expected to pass later this week.
Sara Sciammacco reporting from WPLN’s Capitol Hill bureau in Washington.
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