Mitch McConnell Laughs at the Unemployed as He Promises to Vote No on UI Benefits

To See President Biden's 5 Best Jokes At The White House Correspondents Dinner visit The Daily.

In a recent radio interview, Sen. Mitch McConnell laughed at the unemployed who recently lost their benefits as he promised to vote no on any UI extension. Listen to how heartless the Senate Republican leader really can be.

Listen here:

Transcript:

Lars Larson: I hope you vote no on extending unemployment benefits…

McConnell: ha ha ha ha

Larsen: …at least for the long term unemployed, I appreciate it.

McConnell [still slightly laughing]: ya.

McConnell: Thanks Lars.

At the 8:21 mark of the audio, McConnell finds it funny that he is going to vote no on extending unemployment benefits. McConnell has so little compassion for the 1.3 million long term unemployed workers and their families that to him voting no and throwing them into poverty is a tickle the funny bone moment.

Politico ran a story today that highlighted the hard choices that these decent people are facing, “Some who lost their benefits say they’ll begin an early and unplanned retirement. Others will pile on debt to pay for school and an eventual second career. Many will likely lean on family, friends and other government programs to get by.”

Mitch McConnell finds it funny that he is forcing people into early retirement, or making them pile up debt in the hopes of going back to school to find a second career, or even worse, forcing them to rely on public assistance to survive. The unemployed aren’t lazy. They aren’t undeserving. They are hard working Americans who lost their jobs because of the kind of Wall Street and big bank greed that Mitch McConnell is a staunch defender of.

If Sen. McConnell is so completely devoid of empathy and compassion that he laughs at jeopardizing the economic well being of millions of Americans, he doesn’t belong in the United States Senate. Mitch McConnell is so far inside the beltway conservative bubble that damaging the lives of millions is a moment of high comedy. This isn’t the behavior of a leader, a senator, or a decent caring human being.

18,000 Kentuckians lost their unemployment benefits on December 30, and Mitch McConnell is laughing at them. Kentucky needs a senator that understands and empathizes with the struggles of the folks back home. Kentucky and the United States of America will both benefit if voters decide to ditch Mitch this November.

Sen. McConnell’s disturbing lack of compassion is hurting this country, and it is time for him to go.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association