Sherrod Brown: "No recess until jobless benefits pass"

Joan McCarter (Daily Kos):

The good Senator named Brown is doing his damnedest to get jobless benefits passed.

The House and Senate should stay in session until they can pass an extension of unemployment insurance, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said Wednesday.

Brown urged leaders to keep Congress in session and eat into the holiday weekend and next week's recess, if necessary, to pass a long-delayed extension of benefits and tax cuts that's stalled in the Senate.

"For too many weeks, Republicans have blocked legislation that would extend tax cuts for small businesses, close tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship jobs overseas, and extend unemployment insurance," Brown said in a statement. "Congress should not adjourn for the July 4 holiday weekend without passing an extension of unemployment insurance."

This is the message Harry Reid needs to hear: keep them in. Bring out the cots. Only let them out to attend Sen. Byrd's funeral, and then bring them back. One thing we know, breaking out the cots tends to break loose Republican votes. Take their vacation away until they help the 1.2 million Americans who have prematurely lost their unemployment insurance.