Despite Senate vote, jobless benefits still in doubt

• The Senate voted Tuesday to begin debate on extending unemployment benefits
• Republicans want spending cuts to offset cost of more benefits
• Obama pushing Congress to pass the aid for long-term unemployed

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate took a step toward reinstating expired jobless benefits for 1.3 million people, but significant disagreements and legislative hurdles remain before Congress can approve the assistance.

Six Republicans joined 54 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus on Tuesday to overcome a 60-vote threshold to begin debate on a three-month extension of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. These people have exhausted the standard 26 weeks of unemployment benefits.

"These aren't folks who are just sitting back, waiting for things to happen. They're out there actively looking for work," said President Obama, who supports the extension, at a White House event Tuesday with unemployed workers.

However, most congressional Republicans oppose the $6.4 billion extension if it is not paid for by cuts elsewhere in the federal budget.

Democrats do not support using budget cuts to pay for it because it is a short-term fix and the spending is considered "emergency" federal spending and has traditionally not been offset.

Rep. Sandy Levin, D-Mich., the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, likened it to emergency spending Congress provides following major storms. "This is truly an emergency," he said of the lapsed benefit, which provides on average $300 weekly.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., did not rule out the possibility of including some budget savings in the extension legislation sponsored by Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Dean Heller, R-Nev.

However, he made clear he would not entertain any efforts to use the extension as a vehicle to dismantle the president's health care law. "If they come with something that's serious, I'll talk to them," Reid said. It is not clear when the Senate will take its next vote on the bill.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., proposed Tuesday an amendment to delay the mandate for uninsured individuals to purchase insurance under the new health care law.

McConnell defended the GOP's demands for more budget savings despite previous support for benefit extensions without conditions. "We have a debt crisis. We ought to be able to find…a way to pay for this program. I don't think that's unreasonable or outrageous," he said.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement the House would wait to see what the Senate can pass, and that the House will not entertain an extension that does not include any savings or job-creation efforts. Boehner said the "ultimate solution to joblessness is more jobs."

House Republicans have approved dozens of bills they say will spur job creation, but they have received no attention in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Democrats counter that if Republicans want to see offsets, they should come up with suggestions for those savings. "We don't think it should be paid for. Why should the onus be on us?" Reid said.

Created in 2008 under President George W. Bush, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program was enacted to provide short-term relief as the recession hit, but lingering long-term unemployment rates continue a demand for the program. Benefits under the program expired Dec. 28.

According to the Labor Department, the long-term unemployed – those out of work for 27 weeks or more – make up 37% of the nation's unemployed. New jobs numbers will be released Friday.