While Michigan families and workers struggle with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, why is their junior U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) playing politics with the issue of extending unemployment insurance benefits?

Earlier today, U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) introduced a bill to extend emergency unemployment insurance benefits without increasing taxes or adding to the national debt. The bill would be fully paid for with unspent federal funds to be determined by the Office of Management and Budget. Yet, in response, Stabenow went to the Senate floor and in a partisan-driven speech attacked Republicans on the Senate floor for attempting to extend unemployment benefits without adding to debt or raising taxes:

“And finally, and most insulting to me of all, Mr. President, is they can stand and say we won’t support helping people who are out of work in an economy that is way beyond normal, an economy where there are five people looking for every one job … And what we hear on the other side is oh, my goodness sakes, we can’t possibly extend unemployment benefits without — quote — “paying for it, cutting someplace else, paying for it.”

The problem with Stabenow’s attack, however, is that just two days ago she voted to repeal a job-killing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) paperwork mandate – a provision that would have been paid for through the exact same funding source as the legislation introduced by Brown today – which was included in the massive health care overhaul that she helped pass into law. As U.S. Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE), who sponsored the amendment that Stabenow voted for, explained, the provision would direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to identify billions of dollars in unspent and unobligated accounts to replace the revenue that might have been generated by the 1099 paperwork mandate. Yet, this is the same mechanism cited by Stabenow today in attacking the Republicans and explaining her opposition to the Brown proposal.

“At a time when Michigan is facing 12 percent unemployment and our country is facing a $13 trillion debt, Senator Stabenow should be ashamed of herself for playing political games with unemployment insurance benefits. She should also explain why she attacked Republicans for seeking to do the exact same thing that she voted for just two days ago,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Brian Walsh. “This is the type of petty, partisan gamesmanship that voters are tired of and Michigan workers deserve better from their junior Senator.”