Senate Republicans block new bid to restore jobless benefits

Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a new bid by Democrats to restore long-term unemployment benefits for 1.7 million Americans and make millionaires ineligible for such aid.

In a series of largely party-line votes, Democrats fell short of the needed 60 votes to clear a Republican procedural hurdle against three options for a three-month, retroactive extension of the relief, each of which would be fully paid for and were said not to increase federal debt.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., expecting defeat, declared before the vote that his party would keep trying, saying, "We are not going to give up on the unemployed."

Amid partisan gridlock over the issue, Democrats have accused Republicans of being insensitive to the jobless, and Republicans have accused Democrats of trying to jam through the legislation without amendments.

Since benefits expired on Dec. 28, Democrats have taken the lead in trying to restore them for those who have been out of work for six months or more.

But Democrats have been unable to find common ground with Republicans, many of whom argue that what the unemployed really need is a job and that the jobless program needs to be reformed.

Democrats contend that benefits should be restored immediately while Congress examines how best to create new employment opportunities and reform the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program. Democrats have also previously cited Congressional Budget Office and Economic Policy Institute findings that unemployment insurance payments have a direct stimulative effect on the economy, second only to food stamps in return on investment.

Al Jazeera and Reuters