Rep. Salmon Opposes Jobless Benefits Extension

By Dennis Lambert
Published: Monday, January 6, 2014 - 11:47am
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Congress returns to work Monday and the two major parties have widely different agendas for the New Year.

Republicans plan to focus on every part of the health care law, using its problem-plagued rollout in an effort to maintain control of the House and seize control of the United States Senate in this year’s elections.

Democrats want an increase in the federal minimum wage and an extension of long-term unemployment benefits.

On CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ Sunday, Majority Leader Harry Reid pushed for the jobless benefits extension, bringing this response from Republican Arizona Congressman Matt Salmon, a guest later on the same show.

“The fact is these giveaway programs, government programs don’t create one job, not one job,” Salmon said. “If we want to energize the job market we need to get rid of backbreaking, job-breaking regulations.”

Salmon says if Reid would come up with spending cuts in other parts of the budget to offset the $26 billion cost of extended unemployment benefits, he’s sure enough Republicans could be found to pass the extension. A test vote on the extension of benefits has been set for tonight at the capitol.