WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats broke through a stubborn Republican filibuster Tuesday and pressed to restart jobless benefits for 2 1/2 million Americans still unable to find work in the frail national economic recovery. The Democrats were victorious by the single vote of a new senator sworn in only moments earlier.
Senators voted 60-40 to move ahead on the bill, clearing the way for a final vote in the chamber today.
The recovery from the nation’s long and deep recession has produced relatively few new jobs so far, and millions of people’s unemployment benefits began running out seven weeks ago as Congress bogged down in an impasse over whether the $34 billion cost of a fresh extension of benefits should be paid for with budget cuts or be added to the $13 trillion national debt.
Democrats emphasized the plight of the unemployed and argued that putting money in the pockets of the jobless would boost economic revival.
“This bill is about jobs because unemployment insurance goes to people who will spend it immediately,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. “That would increase economic demand. And that would help support our fragile economic recovery.”
But the numbers are far smaller than last year’s $862 billion stimulus legislation. Republicans have blocked Democratic add-ons, such as aid to state governments.
“It’s too small to have any noticeable impact on the economy’s growth rate,” said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. “But the benefits do provide an important safety net for people during these difficult economic times.”
The economy has added 882,000 jobs this year, but many were temporary as the federal government geared up to conduct the U.S. Census.
Many Republicans have voted in the past for deficit-financed benefit extensions — including twice under the most recent Bush administration. But with the deficit well in excess of $1 trillion, they now say it should be paid for with cuts elsewhere in the $3.7 trillion federal budget.
“We’ve repeatedly voted for similar bills in the past. And we are ready to support one now,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “What we do not support — and we make no apologies for — is borrowing tens of billions of dollars to pass this bill at a time when the national debt is spinning completely out of control.”
The filibuster-breaking vote came moments after Democrat Carte Goodwin was sworn in to succeed West Virginia Democrat Robert Byrd, who died last month at 92. Goodwin was the crucial 60th vote needed.
This would be the eighth extension of unemployment benefits since July 2008, at a total cost to taxpayers of more than $120 billion.
