Unemployment Extensions Stopped by Jon Kyl

Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl has been in the news quite a bit of late.

Kyl was speaking in opposition of a proposal that would have required employers to include basic maternity care in the benefits package offered to employees.

Kyl said during that Senate hearing on healthcare, "I don't need maternity care. So requiring that on my insurance policy is something that I don't need and will make the policy more expensive."  

Kyl also doesn't need unemployment extensions, but nearly 10 percent of Americans do.

From Gather.com:

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) tried to accelerate the usual lengthy process in order to take a quick vote on proposed bill H.R. 3548 to give federal unemployment benefits extension to all 50 states but Kyl halted his efforts, calling for more time to consider the bill and possibly add amendments to it.

"This means that the bill has no chance of a vote this week, as Senate Dems had indicated was likely, but rather the earliest can pass is next week. So for the thousands whose benefits will run out soon, let alone those whose benefits have already run out, you have Jon Kyl to thank for not getting this extension passed sooner."

Though Kyl himself is not up for re-election for another couple of years, his state colleague in the Senate, John McCain, will be next year.   There are signs that Kyl's actions in his party could ultimately harm Senator McCain.  This latest move can't exactly help.  

Arizona's unemployment rate is only slightly below the national average at 9.3 percent. 

Jon Kyl is an outspoken opponent of legalized online gambling. 

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher