The Senate narrowly voted on Tuesday a bill to advance a temporary extension of unemployment benefits to over one million people without jobs, NBC News reported. The measure was sponsored by Nevada Republican Dean Heller and Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed.
"Five Republicans joined Heller to support moving forward on the legislation - Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Dan Coats of Indiana and Rob Portman of Ohio. Those lawmakers -who said they want leaders to find a way to offset the cost of the federal benefits - may not support final passage of the bill. But their support Tuesday kept the legislation alive despite last-minute doubts that the procedural vote would pass," according to NBCNews.com.
House Speaker John Boehner said that any extension of the program must be paid for and contain job creation plans, as what had been initially agreed upon in the House of Representatives.
"One month ago I personally told the White House that another extension of temporary emergency unemployment benefits should not only be paid for but include something to help put people back to work. To date, the president has offered no such plan," Boehner said.
President Barack Obama was scheduled to speak about the unemploment insurance extension after the Senate vote.
Obama is expected to "to paint the GOP as out of touch with Americans concerned about income inequality and the plight of the working poor, issues that Democrats believe will mobilize their political base in 2014 and beyond," as reported by NBC News.
"For a lot of people it's the only source of income they've got to support their families while they look for a new job. These aren't folks who are just sitting back waiting for things to happen. They're out their actively looking for work. They desperately want work," the president said on Monday.
