The Colorado Independent

Posts Tagged Senate

Bennet says what you think in C-Span hot-mic moment: ‘It’s all rigged’

By | 11.30.10 | 2:24 pm

Recently-reelected Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is no fan of the Senate. He has griped about it to the national and local press. He hates the lolly-gagging, the arcane rules, the posturing and, apparently, the bad planning of his Democratic…

New Order: McConnell faces off with DeMint on earmarks

By | 11.10.10 | 7:19 am

From the perspective of many conservatives, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is doing himself and Republicans a lot of harm by fighting Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-S.C.) proposal to ban requests for earmarks among Republicans in next year’s Senate. The first reason,…

Exasperated Bennet ‘driven nutty’ by deeply dysfunctional Senate

By | 08.03.10 | 12:35 pm

Michael Bennet is battling hard in a nasty Democratic primary for the right to keep his seat in the U.S. Senate, even though he finds the place shockingly dysfunctional.

“Sit and watch us for seven days—just watch the…

Unemployment benefits extension no help for growing numbers of jobless

By | 07.23.10 | 8:55 am

Late Thursday afternoon, President Obama signed into law a bill granting workers out of a job for more than 26 weeks additional unemployment insurance payments, paid for by the federal government. The benefits had been in place since November 2009, but had lapsed for seven weeks — an unprecedented hiatus, given the 9.5 percent unemployment rate. The bill, held up in the Senate by Republicans concerned about the deficit, makes benefits retroactive to June 2 and forward to Nov. 30. In states with higher than 8 percent unemployment, workers will continue to receive up to 99 weeks of benefits.

Senate likely to approve unemployment benefits extension today

By | 07.20.10 | 8:37 am

Today, Congress plans to vote to extend unemployment benefits, which have been held up in the Senate for an unprecedented two months. Lawmakers will reconsider H.R. 4213, also known as the jobs bill or the extenders package, as the vehicle for a $34 billion extension of benefits — retroactive to June 2, when they lapsed, and continuing through the end of November.

In unemployment benefits extension, a logistical headache for states

By | 07.19.10 | 8:48 am

On Tuesday, members of the U.S. Senate plan to vote on a federal extension of unemployment benefits, which has been blocked by Republicans for an unprecedented two months. The swearing-in of Carte Goodwin, the temporary replacement for the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), will give Democrats the crucial 60th vote to overcome a GOP filibuster and restore unemployment insurance to 2.5 million Americans.

Deficit hawk Coburn rejects benefits for homeless women veterans

By | 06.29.10 | 2:36 pm

In his zeal for deficit reduction, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has objected to Sen. Patty Murray’s (D-Wash.) bill to provide benefits to homeless woman veterans and homeless veterans with children:

Poll: Colorado Latino voters may be breaking for Bennet

By | 05.24.10 | 1:54 pm

Latino voters, fueled in part by opposition to Arizona immigration law SB 1070, may be behind Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet’s new lead in a Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll released last Wednesday.

Anti-incumbent narrative complicated by Tuesday elections

By | 05.19.10 | 10:15 am

The well-worn theme going into Tuesday’s elections — that a nationwide storm of voter unrest would spell mid-term doom for “big government” incumbents and particularly Democrats — was hardly proven. Indeed, two of the three high-profile races yesterday featured establishment candidates taking on other establishment candidates — with liberals coming out on top. If any one message emerged from the voting, it was that Republicans, who have been hoping that public discontent will translate to big congressional gains in November, may be forced to reevaluate.

Udall personal credit information amendment up for debate

By | 05.14.10 | 8:46 am

The next round of amendments up for debate in Washington today on Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.) financial regulatory reform bill include Colorado Sen. Mark Udall’s ease of access credit proposal. As he explains it, financial companies have greater access to…