WASHINGTON — Even as unemployment benefits expired Monday for tens of thousands of jobless workers, Democrats and Republicans renewed their haggling over whether to vote for an extension when Congress returns from its spring break next week.
In the latest round of skirmishing, Senate Democrats rejected Republican allegations that they had backed away from a GOP proposal to give quick approval to a one-week extension that would be paid for with budget offsets.
“There were a lot of conversations going on, and things were moving very quickly, but no deals were made,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
At the heart of the dispute over extending jobless benefits is the question of how to pay for them — whether through revenue increases or budget cuts.
Two weeks ago, when the Senate took up the question, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., objected that the $9 million measure that had already been approved by the House would add to the federal deficit.
Coburn’s objection was similar to the one Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., raised last month over another extension that was not offset.
But unlike before, failure to extend the benefits that expired Monday meant 212,000 unemployed people will lose benefits this week, according to figures provided by the National Employment Law Project.
The GOP objection raised the specter of a filibuster, and Democrats no longer have a filibuster-proof majority.
The Senate is set to consider a cloture vote when Congress reconvenes at the Capitol on Monday.
