Why Can't They?

It's hard for us to think of any other House Freshman who's been out to accomplish so much during his first term in Congress. Rep. Steven Horsford has been working it like hardly anyone else has even tried. And not only is he working it, but he's now working on critical legislation that can make our economy work better while providing a critical lifeline for those Americans who are still looking for work.

Last week, Rep. Horsford joined several other House Democrats to urge their Republican colleagues to pass the federal unemployment insurance (UI) extension bill that the Senate has already passed.



Just yesterday, Reps. Horsford & Matt Cartwright (D-Pennsylvania) took to The Huffington Post to make their case for bipartisan backed legislation that stands to create 300,000 jobs and increase national GDP by 0.3% while preventing 2.3 million Americans from succumbing to financial catastrophe. And they're not alone. None other than Senator Dean Heller (R) has asked his Republican colleagues on the House side to #RenewUI. And now, none other than Governor Brian Sandoval (R) is asking House Republicans to stop wasting time & #RenewUI already.

Over 34,000 Nevadans are needlessly suffering due to the federal UI lapse. It's now lasted nearly 4 months, and our economy has taken an unnecessary hit. What's the point of all this unnecessary hardship?

There's a reason why both Senator Heller & Governor Sandoval are speaking up now. They realize this is bad policy. And they know this is bad politics.

The ball is now in House Republicans' court. And if House Republican "leaders" refuse to allow a floor vote, then individual Republican members need to do step up to ensure a floor vote. And if that means a discharge petition, then they should prepare to sign (cough- Joe Heck- cough). If a handful of House Freshmen can bring this issue to the forefront, why can't more senior House members (particularly those in the Speaker's party) do everything they possibly can to pass legislation they say they want?