Today, Senator Ben Nelson said that he is unlikely to support the economic relief act (unemployment extensions, grants to states, tax cut extensions, etc) that is before the Senate.
It isn't a surprise that Nelson will not vote for this bill, as he voted against the unemployment extension in March. What is surprising, however, is the choice of words Nelson used to express his opposition to the bill:
Nelson said he understands the need for unemployment benefits but that they should be paid for (...)
"The federal government isn't an ATM for state governments," Nelson said.
This is odd metaphor for Nelson, given that only three weeks ago he said that he had never used an ATM, and does not know how to use one:
"I've never used an ATM, so I don't know what the fees are," Nelson said, adding that he gets his cash from bank tellers, just not automatic ones. "It's true, I don't know how to use one. "
Since Nelson has never used an ATM, let me help him out. When you withdraw cash from an ATM, that cash comes out of our bank account, and is deducted from your account balance. You cannot withdraw money from an ATM that is not already in your bank account. In other words, it is already paid for.
As such, Nelson's metaphorical objection to the bill does not make any sense. If he had ever used an ATM, he would know this.
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