Dodd wasn’t alone in aiming fiery rhetoric at President Bush Wednesday. He and fellow Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Richard Durbin and Jeff Bingaman railed against a Republican leadership that, according to Clinton, is not “living in the same economy we are.”

The fire-and-brimstone speeches were part of the Democrats’ news conference called to draw attention to their campaign to extend federal unemployment insurance benefits.

The senators brought a panel of unemployed workers -- most from the New York City area, where Clinton said unemployment is up to 9.4 percent – to “put a face on the statistics.” One laid-off marketing director called some members of Congress criminals. Kennedy repeatedly referred to the Republicans’ tax cut plans as “quack medicine,” while Clinton compared last week’s dreary unemployment statistics – now at 6 percent -- to those from “the last Bush recession.”

Their plan would provide 26 weeks of unemployment benefits compared with the 13 weeks now offered, extend a temporary unemployment insurance program that is due to expire, provide additional benefits to the “long-term unemployed” and offer states access to federal funds to provide insurance to part-time and low-wage workers.

Bingaman will introduce the plan Thursday in the Senate Finance Committee as an amendment to the tax bill.

Democrats in both houses of Congress Wednesday offered plans that they said would stiffen the backbone of the sagging economy.

A group of House Democrats, at a much more subdued news conference, proposed a plan for economic growth as an alternative to Bush’s proposed $726 billion tax cut.

The plan, described by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, would also extend unemployment benefits to 26 weeks. In addition, it offers a $200 increase in the child tax credit, tax incentives for business investment and federal support for states programs like Medicaid and homeland security.

The House Rules Committee must approve the plan before it can be proposed as an official alternative.

If the Senate Democrats launched fireworks, those in the House had at least a few sparklers with them. Members implied that they might walk out or stage some other form of protest if the Republican-controlled Rules Committee did not let them present their bill.

“If they don’t give us an opportunity on the floor,” said Pelosi, “we will have to create our own environment to bring this to the attention of the American people.”
“We’re not afraid of the comparison” with the Republicans tax cut bill, she said.

Democrats from both houses insisted their proposals had a chance of getting through the Republican-controlled Congress.

“Getting better every day,” said Clinton, “This is a problem that can’t be ignored.”