Congress Returns next week: Will they pass Tier 5?

Next week, Congress will be back in session - but will they deal with extending unemployment or will they pass Tier 5 for the 99ers?

Currently, S3706 is not on the Lame Duck Senate agenda at all. Nancy Pelosi told the Huffington Post that extending UI benefits (filing dates only) is third on her priority list - yet did not mention of the coveted Tier 5. Nancy still runs the House (for now) but S3706 is a Senate bill which requires Harry Reid to put the bill on the Senate floor "Lame Duck" agenda.

Ed Schultz, staunch supporter of the 99er cause, was on The Rachel Maddow Show last night. When asked during Maddow’s new ‘Lame Duck’ segment about what the Democrats should do when they return next Monday, though Ed did mention extending unemployment benefits for those Americans who are “about to lose them” - he did NOT even mention Tier 5 for the 99ers (who have been without UI benefits now 8 months and counting). Say it isn’t so!

This omission by Schultz leads me to believe that he must know Tier 5 isn’t even on the radar when Congress returns. We all know that it is not on the official Congressional schedule, available online. Harry Reid is the one who decides what bills come to the Senate floor - and this is how he shows his gratitude for us saving his job?

My calls this week to the Senate offices of several co-authors of S3706 all had the same result. “The Americans Want to Work Act (S3706) is not scheduled to come to the floor for a vote during the remainder of this session and not likely to ever be considered even next year.”

Personal visits yesterday to the San Diego offices of CA Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstien (on behalf of the 99er community) met the same result. This is an outrage!

I say every 99er and concerned non-99er needs to contact Harry Reid via his staffers and tell them how we feel about being ignored and left to die after saving his butt:

Congressional Toll free Switchboard: 1-866-220-0044
Senator Harry Reid 202-224-3542 REID FAX 202-224-7327
Reno office:Tel 775-686-5750 Fax 775-686-5757

Reid Staffers:
Rodell_mollineau@reid.senate.gov,
Danica_daneshforouz@reid.senate.gov,
Mike_esposito@reid.senate.gov,
Mary_conelly@reid.senate.gov,
Gary_myrick@reid.senate.gov,
Robin_mccain@reid.senate.gov,
jim_manley@reid.senate.gov,

99er Nation, it is time yet again to flood the Ed show with emails http://www.bigeddieradio.com/emailEd/ saying we need his voice for the 99ers to survive! ed@edshultzshow.com


And please do not forget to keep calling the White House Comments Line 202-456-1111 - Comment line is only open 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday thru Friday EST. ***REMIND the President that this is an emergency and the very survival of millions of Americans depends on Tier 5 getting passed immediately!

[See the interview with Ed Schultz at 8:25 into the clip below]