Michigan Democrat blasts GOP leaders for Bunning's objection on benefits

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) on Saturday blamed Senate Republican leaders for the stalled unemployment benefits extension.

The senator said that by remaining silent on Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ky.) objection to a unanimous consent motion on the bill, GOP leaders implicitly offered their support for the move.

"Where is the Republican leadership on Monday? Where will the Republican leadership be next week," Stabenow said on a conference call with reporters organized by the Democratic leadership. "Are they going to stand up and stop this...or are they going to continue by their silence to support Sen. Bunning?"

Bunning on Thursday night raised an objection to the move that would have allowed the Senate to quickly pass a short-term extension of certain unemployment benefits and COBRA healthcare benefits.

Don Stewart, communications director for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), responded by pointing to the fact that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) appeared to place sole blame on Bunning for stalling the benefits' extension.

Durbin said Friday that it was "because of the objection of one Senator who says we have to learn our lesson about deficits.” And Reid said on Thursday that "When 99 senators want something done, it is not right for one Senator to hold it up. My friend has that right. But it is a real problem for so many different people."

Regan Lachapelle, a spokesperson for Reid, stood by Stabenow's comments.

"Yes, after the events of this past week she is correct," she said in an e-mail. "With so many Americans out of work and depending on this assistance, all of the Republicans should be standing up in support of passing these extensions."

It's not clear if McConnell has asked Bunning to halt his objection, but that could matter little since any senator can unilaterally object to such a motion.

But Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said that other Republican senators appeared on the Senate floor Thursday night and were poised to filibuster the extensions.

"When it was Bunning by himself, we had the prospect of getting unanimous consent but when coordinated support for him materialized on the floor," he said on the call.  "At that point we weren't facing the opp from Sen bunning, we were facing the prospect of a GOP filibuster."

Merkley said that Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) came to the floor in that regard. But it is not clear if Republicans were prepared to marshal 41 votes to uphold a filibuster.

Stewart said in an e-mail that senators entered into a unanimous consent agreement for the full tax extenders bill for next week, which will include the stalled unemployment and COBRA extensions.

Stabenow pledged to work to pass that measure as quickly as possible but suggested that Republicans could stall it.

"They could slow this down by offering amendments but we are going to move as fast as we can," she said.

This post was updated at 1:45 p.m.

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