Senate GOPers Block Extended Jobless Aid

Last week it was House Republicans holding up benefits for jobless workers whose aid is about to expire – though enough of them finally came to their senses to pass the bill. Now Senate Republicans are balking.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) attempted to bring the House bill to the floor this week, legislation that would provide an extra 13 weeks of benefits for unemployed workers, plus another 13 weeks for workers in states with high unemployment. But Minority Leader John Kyl (R-Ariz.) used Senate rules to block the bill.

About 300,000 jobless workers each month run out of unemployment benefits. As of the end of May, 1.5 million people had been unemployed for longer than six months, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The House-passed bill would extend aid to about 3.8 million jobless workers once they run out of state benefits.