Don Nickles: “I think some people are playing political games. I understand some people are interested in passing a unanimous consent…”

“I think some people are playing political games. I understand some people are interested in passing a unanimous consent agreement on unemployment compensation. I heard the request. It was to provide a 13-week extension of unemployment compensation. That is not what this bill does. I don't know how many times I have to say it on the floor. The bill provides for a 26-week extension, not a 13-week, a 26-week extension. There is a big difference. I believe I heard the sponsors say it changes the trigger--it does change the trigger. It is not a clean extension because it changes the trigger so that more States are eligible for long-term extension. This bill has a 26-week Federal unemployment compensation extension on top of the State 26 weeks, and an additional 7 weeks for those States that have the highest unemployment compensation. That would be a total of 52 weeks--59 weeks, in some States; 52 weeks for all States, 59 weeks for some States. It also has a section that says we should not count people who might be employed. It is a crummy bill.”