Last week, Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), blocked an extension of unemployment benefits, claiming that they objected to granting the extension without offsetting it with a spending cut elsewhere. Last month, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) and a handful of his Republican allies did the same thing, with Bunning telling Democrats who wanted to pass an extension by unanimous consent “tough sh*t.”

But it wasn’t only unemployment benefits that expired: the same package that the Republicans blocked also included extenders for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). And the critical nature of NFIP was brought into the spotlight this week, as many northeastern states have been battered with record amounts of rainfall, which has led to widespread flooding.

Flooding in Rhode Island was the worst it’s been in 100 years, with some rivers “several feet above all-time records.” Boston saw its wettest March since record keeping began in 1872, while “bridges and highways have washed out from Maine to Connecticut and sewage systems have been overwhelmed to the point that families were asked to stop flushing toilets.” National Guard troops have been mobilized to aid residents in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

According to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, there are 5.5 million flood insurance policy holders in flood plains, and as of this week, homeowners were rendered unable to renew their policies. If any of those homeowners were victims of the current flooding, they will “face complications” filing claims. As Blain Rethmeier, spokesman for the American Insurance Association, put it, “it’s unfortunate that the NFIP has fallen victim to the political process”:

Ultimately the people who will suffer the most are property owners who need new coverage or who need to renew their flood insurance policies. One can only hope that Mother Nature is kind until April 12. Otherwise, there’s not much people can do.

According to Roll Call, Republicans hope to blame the expiration on Democrats when they come back from the current recess, since House Democrats objected to the spending offsets that the Senate had agreed to. But Republicans have made it clear that they fully endorse obstructing these extension packages. After all, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said this week that “we didn’t give [Bunning] as much help as we probably should have.” “It took an act of courage like Sen. Bunning’s to perhaps jolt people,” Kyl said.

Cross-posted on the Wonk Room.

This week, there has been a significant public backlash against Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY), the obstructionist who has been blocking the temporary extension of unemployment benefits. The Republican Party is also coming under fire for largely staying away from criticizing Bunning (with the exception of Sens. Susan Colllins and James Inhofe). Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was doing damage control today, insisting that Bunning was just “one senator. This does not represent the position of the caucus.” On Friday, however, Cornyn was singing a very different tune, and actually took to the Senate floor to laud Bunning:

I admire the courage of the junior senator from Kentucky, Senator Bunning. It’s not fun to be accused of having no compassion for the people who are out of work, the people for who these benefits should be forthcoming, and I believe will be forthcoming. But somebody has to stand up, finally, and say enough is enough, no more inter-generational theft from our children and grandchildren by not meeting our responsibilities today. And that’s what I interpret him to have done.

Looks like Cornyn isn’t too interested in standing up for Bunning’s “courage” now that it’s not politically popular.

The suffering of hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans eased tonight as Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) finally stopped blocking legislation temporarily extending unemployment and COBRA benefits, which stopped on Sunday. The New York Times reports:

It came after Mr. Bunning’s fellow Republicans began to air their own concerns about how the Senate blockade had the potential to damage their political brand while also having a direct impact on their constituents.

While Democrats hailed the progress, they also said Mr. Bunning’s decision to delay the aid had caused serious disruptions in federal programs and could create bureaucratic problems as people try to reclaim their federal aid.

“Sometimes just because we have the power to do things, we ought to think twice before we use that power,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No.2 Democrat in the Senate.

Bunning had been stating that he didn’t want to extend the benefits because the weren’t “paid for,” even though, as ThinkProgress reported earlier today, he voted for an unpaid-for extension during the Bush administration. Bunning’s obstruction affected the jobs of federal transportation workers (who have been furloughed without pay for the past two days), Medicare payments to doctors, television service for rural residents, small business loans, and flood insurance. The bill is now expected to come up for a vote tonight.

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) has been blocking important legislation that would temporarily extend unemployment and health benefits to laid-off American workers; these benefits expired on Sunday because Congress failed to pass an extension. Because of Bunning, 2,000 federal highway employees were furloughed without pay as of yesterday, and doctors are facing a 21 percent cut in Medicare fees, and more than a million people in rural areas may not be able to watch television.

Today, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) spoke up and asked for “unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of HR 4691″ — what Democrats have repeatedly requested in recent days. Collins said that she was supported by “numerous” other GOP senators who are tired of Bunning’s obstruction:

On my own behalf, and on behalf of numerous members of the Republican caucus who have expressed concerns to me, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of HR 4691 — with one of hour of debate equally divided between the leaders or their designees, and that following the use or the yielding back of time, the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to a vote on passage. [...]

Madam President, I hope that we can act together for the American people, and again, I want to emphasize that this issue is so important on senators on both sides of the aisle. Many of my colleagues have expressed concerns to me that this was not done last week, when it should have been done. So Madam President, I do propose the unanimous consent request.

Watch it:

Collins’ speech reportedly had the “blessing” of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has refused to criticize Bunning thus far. In fact, after Collins’ move, McConnell decided not to follow her lead and instead just “launched into a speech criticizing Democrats on health care legislation.”

GOP senators have all largely stayed away from criticizing Bunning, and several have even wholeheartedly embraced his obstruction. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) told reporters today that Bunning’s block is “not as big of a deal as some of you are trying to make it.” Yesterday on the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) said of Bunning, “I respect him for the courage he’s showed.” Similarly, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) has said that Bunning’s move is something that the Senate should “honor” and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has said that he “admire[s]” the obstruction.

So if there are “many” GOP senators upset at Bunning, why don’t they speak out? Why are they all hiding behind Sen. Collins?

Transcript: Read more

Since last week, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) has been obstructing legislation to extend unemployment benefits, telling Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) “tough sh*t” when Merkley pleaded with Bunning to drop the hold on the Senate floor. Bunning blocked the measure because of “a dispute over how [the bill] should be funded,” leaving 400,000 Americans in limbo after the benefits expired at midnight on Sunday. Today, an “angry” Bunning refused to answer questions about his hold, running away from an ABC reporter and taking refuge in a senator’s only elevator. Shouting “Excuse me!,” Bunning would not say whether he was concerned about people losing their benefits. Watch it:

Off camera, when ABC producer Z. Byron Wolf tried to engage Bunning, he said, “I’m not talking to anybody” and gave Wolf the middle finger.

Over the weekend, approximately 400,000 laid-off workers may have lost their unemployment benefits, COBRA subsidies to help defray health care costs expired, and loans for small businesses ran out of time — all because of Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY).

Last week, the House passed an extension of these benefits. Bunning, however, blocked the Senate from moving forward over “a dispute over how [the bill] should be funded,” and complained that the Democrats’ insistence on trying to ensure that unemployment benefits not expire had caused him to miss a college basketball game.

Several Republicans have defended Bunning’s destructive tactics, although Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) called on him to move aside. Inhofe pointed out that since the bill also contained transportation funding, an expiration could lead to furloughs of employees of the Federal Highway Administration. Indeed, today, 2,000 federal transportation workers have been furloughed without pay. From a Department of Transportation press release, which lays the blame directly on Bunning:

The action comes as a result of Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning’s decision to block key legislation that would have extended several critical priorities for middle class families. [...]

Because of the shutdown, federal inspectors will be removed from critical construction projects, forcing work to come to a halt on federal lands. Projects span the country, including the $36 million replacement of the Humpback Bridge on the George Washington Parkway in Virginia, $15 million in bridge construction and stream rehabilitation in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, and the $8 million resurfacing of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. [...]

At the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the furloughs will disrupt safety programs that operate in partnership with the states and advocacy groups, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). [...]

Assistance to consumers whose goods are held hostage by rogue moving companies will be unavailable during this period. And work addressing texting while driving for commercial truck and bus drivers, electronic on-board recorders and hours of service will also be suspended.

On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) also pointed out that 1.5 million people may also “be unable to watch local TV stations” beginning today — also because of Bunning’s block on the bill, which includes a “satellite television extension” allowing rural residents to watch local TV stations via satellite. According to MultiChannel news, without the extension, “satellite operators will not be allowed to import distant affiliate TV station signals to viewers who cannot receive a viewable version of their local affiliate.”

Yesterday, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said that the Senate will most likely pass a temporary extension of the unemployment benefits this week, although a year-long extension may be a tougher sell.