On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had to delay a crucial vote on unemployment benefits so that Republican lawmakers could finalize their list of demands. Although Democrats want to extend long-term unemployment benefits for 11 months with no strings attached, Conservative senators only want a three month extension, and they want the cost of the program off-set with more austerity measures. Among the proposals, which will likely be offered as amendments to the final plan, are some of the most inhumane ideas ever dreamed up by the Republican party.

According to a senior Democratic aide, in exchange for helping out-of-work Americans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would like to deny healthcare to millions with a one-year delay of Obamacare. Senator Kelly Ayotte would like to put the cost of an extension on the backs of immigrant children, by making it impossible for their parents to claim a child tax credit. And, Senator Rob Portman wants to cut Social Security benefits for the few Americans who receive disability benefits and unemployment assistance – a measure that would save a meager $100 million dollars a year.

Rather than asking the wealthy to pay more, or closing a few corporate tax loopholes, Republicans think that the cost of unemployment insurance should be paid by sick people, children, and the disabled. To make matters worse, some Democrats are going along with these ideas in an effort to restore the financial lifeline that 1.4 million out-of-work Americans rely on. It shouldn't have even come to this.

When Republicans were in power, they extended these important benefits multiple times with no strings attached. Now, however, they're using this emergency as an opportunity to inflict more pain on the American public – for the sole purpose of blaming that pain on our President. Austerity has never and will never benefit our economy, and this Republican political hostage-taking is causing real damage to millions of American lives.