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The U.S. Senate in a procedural vote just advanced an unemployment insurance bill that would extend benefits to 1.3 million long-term unemployed Americans for an additional three months. The vote was 60-37, which included six Republicans.
Among those not voting for the bill were Republicans John McCain, Mark Kirk, and Marsha Blackburn.
The Senate will have to vote for the actual bill, as will the House, before the benefits would go into effect. Given the current state of the GOP-led House, there’s no telling if or when the bill might come to the floor.
What is clear is that passing even a three-month extension to unemployment benefits — benefits which are paid into by workers via payroll taxes — would help stimulate the economy. Stimulating the economy months before the mid-term elections is the last thing the GOP wants. The worst the economy is, the better their chances of keeping control of the House and taking over the Senate.
Image: Screenshot via C-SPAN