WASHINGTON — The Senate voted 59 to 39 on Wednesday to restore emergency jobless benefits to millions of people who have been out of work for more than six months. U.S. House leaders say they will ratify the measure Thursday and send it on to the White House.
President Barack Obama is expected to quickly sign the bill, which would authorize states to provide retroactive support to an estimated 2.5 million people who have seen their unemployment checks cut off since federal benefits expired June 2. It would also make available up to 99 weeks of income support through the end of November to millions more who have exhausted state benefits, which typically last for 26 weeks. Advocates for the unemployed say it could be several weeks in some states before the checks are in the mail.
The vote comes after a months-long battle over whether to pay for the $34 billion measure with unspent funds, or add that sum to the nation’s mounting national debt. Both parties have traditionally agreed not to pay for emergency jobless benefits during periods of high unemployment, in part because cutting spending or raising taxes to cover the cost could further depress economic activity. But the recent recession, coupled with federal stimulus spending to revive the economy, has pushed government debt loads here and abroad into dangerous territory, sparking a crisis in Europe and heightening public anxiety in the United States.