Senate Republicans pressure governor to compromise on unemployment benefits

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Intro:	Some Republicans filibustering an unemployment benefits extension say they will allow it to pass if the governor is willing to cut funding from specific federal stimulus money projects.
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Wrap: Senators Jim Lembke and Brian Nieves are two of the senators filibustering the extension.

Nieves says they will allow the unemployment bill to come up for a vote if Governor Jay Nixon makes some cuts.

Lembke and Nieves say they want Nixon to send 300 of the 570 million dollars in federal stimulus money back.

Nieves says the proposed spending of stimulus money is some of the most horrific, stupid, and outrageous spending government could use tax payer dollars for.

Nieves says the federal government is giving Missouri stimulus money for programs the state doesn't need when the country could keep that money and help tor wards the national debt.

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Description: "Simply reduce House Bill 18 by $300 million and we will sit down and allow the unemployment bill come up for a vote."

Unemployment benefits will expire on Saturday if a compromise is not met.

From Jefferson City, I'm Kyle Tons.

Intro:	Some Republicans filibustering the unemployment benefit extension gave the governor an ultimatum: send back some federal stimulus money to end the filibuster or continue to keep the money and risk termination of unemployment benefits on Saturday.
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Wrap: Senators Jim Lembke and Brian Nieves found ways to cut 300 of the 570 million stimulus dollars allotted to Missouri from the indebted federal government.

The senators say they will compromise and let the benefits extension pass to a floor vote if Governor Jay Nixon cuts certain projects.

Nieves says an example of an unnecessary project is more than 22 million dollars spent on a study of high speed rails.

He says it's up to the governor to decide what's more important.

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Description: "So, what needs to happen here is the governor needs to decide whether or not these ridiculous pet projects are more important than these Missouri families."

Senator Lembke says they've extended the olive branch to the governor and so far he hasn't had the decency to meet with them.

From Jefferson City, I'm Kyle Tons.

Intro:	Unemployment benefits for Missourians will run out Saturday unless a compromise can be made between some Senate Republicans and the governor.
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Wrap: Senators Jim Lembke and Brian Nieves are two Republican Senators who are filibustering a bill to extend unemployment benefits.

They say Missouri should send back more than half of the federal stimulus money because the federal government is in debt.

Saint Joseph Senator Rob Schaaf is also a filibustering Republican Senator.

He says he's doing so because of the irresponsible federal spending that's put the country in debt.

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Description: "The federal government is spending us into oblivion. They're putting our children and grandchildren in deep debt and they're essentially enslaving their futures for many years."

Schaaf and the other filibustering senators demand 300 million dollars be cut and sent back to the federal government before any compromise can be made.

From Jefferson City, I'm Kyle Tons.

Intro:	Republican Senators Jim Lembke and Brian Nieves have filibustered the extension of unemployment benefits in hope to make a compromise with the governor about sending federal stimulus money back.
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Wrap: Senators Lembke and Nieves say they want 300 million dollars to be sent back to the federal government.

This money comes from proposed programs they say are outrageous.

They say it's irresponsible to spend Missouri's stimulus money on certain programs when Missouri could send back the money to help cut into the country's massive debt.

Democratic Senator Jolie Justus says any money sent back will hurt Missouri.

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Description: "These are dollars that were paid for by Missourians through their federal taxes and that money is now available to the state of Missouri and quote-unquote, sending it back to Washington only hurts the state of Missouri. That means the money will go to another state."

Justus says the senators worried about how things are being run in Washington D.C., should run for federal office and represent people in that capacity.

From Jefferson City, I'm Kyle Tons.