Jobless Benefits Extension Hits Snag In Senate [View All]

Source: CBS News

A House-passed bill to give another 13 weeks of unemployment benefits to people from states where the jobless rate is at least 8.5 percent has bogged down in the Senate because of resistance from lawmakers whose states have lower unemployment and would be left out.

With hundreds of thousands having already lost their benefits or about to lose them in the coming weeks, Senate leaders were scrambling to come up with a compromise.

The original hope among Democratic leaders was to get quick approval of a proposal giving four extra weeks of benefits to the jobless in all 50 states and 17 weeks to workers in those 27 states where the unemployment rate is 8.5 percent or above.

But that drew opposition from lawmakers from the 23 states who wouldn't qualify for the greater benefit.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/05/ap/congress/main5363168.shtml

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As one whose benefits ran out in the beginning of August, I wish the Senate would pull together and come up with a compromise.