Today, Republican Senators stood together to block cloture on a jobs bill which would have advanced legislation to extend unemployment benefits through November. Following the Senate's 57-41 vote that prevents the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act from receiving a fair up-or-down vote, SEIU President Mary Kay Henry had this to say:

It's an absolute disgrace. Do Republicans not understand the nightmare that millions upon millions wake up to everyday across this country?

Once again Republican Senators sent hard hit families to the back of the line in favor of hedge fund managers and Wall Street millionaires. Because of their party politics, a million people will lose their unemployment benefits tomorrow. And, states will have no choice but to cut even more jobs and more services, causing even more Americans to fall through the cracks.

Republicans have chosen for Americans to lose.

They can say this is about deficits. But this is about families who sit around the dinner table figuring out how to pay their electricity bill. It's about the recent high school graduate who can no longer attend college this fall. It's about our communities and the police officer who just got laid off because the state was left with no choice.

And, Republicans have decided that none of these people matter.

Full statement from our union's President here.