Back in session after holiday break, the Senate will hold a procedural vote Monday evening on whether to reinstate unemployment benefits to more than 1 million Americans, as a compromise deal struggles for the votes it needs for passage.
The extension to unemployment benefits was a casualty of December budget negotiations, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., vowed to resume debate in the New Year, and President Barack Obama has since called on lawmakers to greenlight the “vital economic lifeline.”
Along with calls for raising the minimum wage — which polls show most Americans support — extending unemployment benefits could become a key part of Democratic talking points in advance of the midterm elections set for November.
The payments stopped on Dec. 28 and Democrats, led by Obama, are pushing hard to revive them. The issue is perceived to be vital to many of the party’s core voters, who could be crucial in low-turnout, midterm elections.
And Democrats have left little doubt that they will use any Republican opposition to unemployment benefits as a political cudgel.
As pressure mounts, some are seeking a bipartisan compromise.
According to the Washington Post, Sen. Dean Heller R-Nev., and Sen. Jack Reed D-R.I., are behind the bill senators will consider Monday evening, which provides $6.5 billion to extend unemployment insurance to 1.3 million Americans for another 3 months.
