Unemployment

Dem Governors Press Congress To Fully Extend Unemployment Benefits

Brian Beutler | December 15, 2011, 5:52AM

U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) speaks to the press during his weekly press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on December 1, 2011.

In a letter to key Congressional principals, 16 Democratic governors are seeking the full renewal of extended unemployment benefits, which are set to lapse (along with the payroll tax cut) on January 1, 2012.

"We write to urge you to swiftly pass a one-year extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program ("EUC") and 100% federal funding of the Extended Benefits ("EB") Program before they expire on December 31," the governors write. "We are extremely concerned about the potential impact of the expiration of these programs on families and our economic recovery as a whole. Unless Congress extends these programs before adjourning for the holidays, nearly 2 million unemployed workers will lose this critical support in January 2012 alone."

House Republicans passed a bill this week that would limit the extended benefits over time. That legislation is at the center of a massive legislative conflict on Capitol Hill that could result in a government shutdown Friday evening.

You can read the full letter below the fold.

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Democratic Governors Association

16 Dem Govs. Pressure Dem Senators Ahead Of Jobs Vote

Susan Crabtree | October 11, 2011, 5:29PM

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD)

With President Obama's jobs package facing a handful of Democratic defections in the Senate, the White House released a letter from 16 Democratic governors who are standing squarely behind the bill in a last-ditch lobbying blitz before the Tuesday night vote.

The jobs bill faces almost certain defeat Tuesday night on a procedural motion requiring 60 votes to stop a GOP filibuster. All Republicans are expected to oppose it-- and even a handful of Democratic senators are poised to vote no.

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Martin O'Malley

DGA Chair: With Their Union Battles, GOP Has Given Democrats Their Mojo Back

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 28, 2011, 11:10AM

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD)

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley -- the man in charge of seeing to the election of Democratic governors in the current cycle -- says that the fights between Republican governors and union workers across the Midwest is just the kind of thing that could stop the Republican tide and put Democrats back in charge.

"It certainly draws the contrast doesn't it?" O'Malley, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, told TPM in an interview this weekend.

"I think because of the difficulty and the challenges and what we've all lost in this recession, the distinction between Democratic and Republican governors became a little bit blurred for some," he said, reflecting on the Democratic losses of 2010. "But I think it's pretty clear now the sort of ideological detour that these governors are taking when all of us should be creating jobs, contrasting with our message of job opportunity now."

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IA-GOV

Ad Attacking GOP Candidate As A 'Liberal' Was Paid For By Dems

Jillian Rayfield | July 16, 2010, 2:29PM

Former Gov. Terry Branstad (R-IA)

An attack ad against Terry Branstad -- the former Republican governor of Iowa who is challenging Dem Gov. Chet Culver for the seat -- labels him as a "liberal." So which group of liberal-haters paid for the ad?

As it turns out...it was the Democratic Governors Association.

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2010 elections

Democratic Governors Association Brings In Big Money, But Less Than GOP

Eric Kleefeld | July 2, 2010, 3:15PM

Delaware Governor and Democratic Governors Association Chair Jack Markell

The Democratic Governors Association has announced their strongest ever fundraising quarter -- though it's still not as good as their GOP counterparts at the Republican Governors Association, who have also seen a strong cash-flow.

The DGA raised $9.1 million in the second quarter, and has $22 million cash on hand. The DGA also announced that their fundraising in the first six months of this year was their strongest ever. Yesterday, the Republican Governors Association announced quarterly fundraising of $18.9 million, with $40 million cash on hand.

The gubernatorial races this year cover a huge majority of the country's population, in addition to the high-profile races for Congress. And these races are even more important than they were four years ago -- most of the governors elected this year will play a direct role in the redistricting that will come after this year's Census.