Obama Defends Long-Term Unemployed As He Pushes For Benefits Extension

BuzzFeed - “The long-term unemployed are not lazy.” View Video › President Obama urged Congress Tuesday to quickly pass a bill guaranteeing millions of Americans unemployment benefits for an additional three months. The president was speaking immediately after the Senate voted 60-37 to begin debate on the final passage of the bill. "Now, I have heard the argument that says extending unemployment insurance will somehow hurt the unemployed because it zaps their motivation to get a new job. I really want to go at this for a second," the president said to applause. "That really sells the American people short. I meet a lot of people as president of the United States, and as candidate for president of the United States, and as a U.S. senator, and as a state senator. I meet a lot of people, and I can't name a time where I met an American who would rather have an unemployment check than the pride of having a job." Even if the Senate ultimately votes to extend benefits, the bill