President Obama slammed Senate Republicans Saturday for blocking the extension of unemployment benefits.

In his weekly radio address, Obama said keeping those benefits in
place would put money in people’s pockets, leading to more consumer
spending that could boost local economies. Instead, the president said
the minority party is stopping that from happening by filibustering the
legislation.

{mosads}“Too often, the Republican leadership in the United States Senate
chooses to filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress. And that
has very real consequences,” Obama said. “Over the past several weeks,
more than two million of them have seen their unemployment insurance
expire.  For many, it was the only way to make ends meet while
searching for work — the only way to cover rent, utilities, even food.”

The president said in his address that the Senate has failed three
times to extend unemployment benefits with Republicans blocking an
up-or-down vote on the bill. Obama said the extension of unemployment
benefits should be not controversial and has been treated as a
necessary emergency expenditure during economic crises by lawmakers in
both parties in the past.

“Suddenly, Republican leaders want to change that. They say we
shouldn’t provide unemployment insurance because it costs money,” Obama
said. “So after years of championing policies that turned a record
surplus into a massive deficit, including a tax cut for the wealthiest
Americans, they’ve finally decided to make their stand on the backs of
the unemployed.”

Obama’s harsh criticism of the GOP is the latest round in an escalating war of words between him and Republican leaders.

As
the mid-term elections have drawn closer, the president has been more
willing to call out Republicans, especially House Minority Leader John
Boehner (R-Ohio), for their votes against his legislative agenda.
Republicans have responded in kind with Boehner and others saying the
White House would add too much to the national deficit with their
proposed spending plans.

The political attacks are playing out against the backdrop of
Democrats expecting heavy election losses in November, possibly enough
so to lose the House to the GOP.

In his address, Obama said
Congress needs ignore the politics of the day though. He called upon
them to increase loans to small businesses and renew jobless benefits.
 
“We
don’t desert our fellow Americans when they fall on hard times. We come
together,” Obama said. “That’s what we’re doing today. And I’m
absolutely convinced that’s how we’re going to come through this storm
to better days ahead.”