Senate Republicans defeated the Democrats' jobs bill which would hae provided $16 billion in new aid to states, preserving the jobs of thousands of state and local government workers - and according to the White House would have provided an insurance policy against a double-dip recession. The demise of the bill means unemployment benefits will phase out for more than 200,000 people a week. Governors who had been counting on federal aid will now have to consider a new round of budget cuts, tax hikes and layoffs of state workers.
We ask: GOP Blocks Unemployment: Tough Love or Slap in the Face?