Today NPR is reporting on the fact that Senator Bunning of Kentucky is temporarily blocking a bill that includes the extension of unemployment benefits, the fix on doctor's reimbursements from Medicare and TRICARE, and various other things. (Actually, the most interesting part of that article is the comments left by the readers.)
The Washington Examiner pointed out yesterday that if the Democrats in the Senate truly believed in the PAYGO (Pay-as-you go) statute they passed earlier this year, they would be supporting Senator Bunning.
Yesterday The Hill reported that Senator Bunning is stating that until the $10 billion can be found to cover the cost of the bill, he plans to block passage of the bill.
The Democrats in the Senate passed PAYGO earlier this year. Either they meant it or they didn't. If they meant it, they need to take money out of the unspent stimulus money in order to cover the expense of extending unemployment and COBRA.
A large percentage of the media today is painting Senator Bunning as a grumpy old codger throwing a hissy fit. That is a shame. If more people had Senator Bunning's courage, we might eventually be able to balance the federal budget. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case.
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