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| Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., second from left, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, after legislation to renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed unexpectedly cleared an initial Senate hurdle. From left are, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Schumer, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. The vote was 60-37 to limit debate on the legislation, with a half-dozen Republicans siding with the Democrats on the test vote. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., along with Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada, led the effort to reauthorize the benefits for three months which expired on Dec. 28. |
WASHINGTON
(AP) -- Election-year legislation to revive expired federal jobless
benefits unexpectedly cleared an early hurdle on Tuesday, offering a
hint of bipartisan compromise in Congress and a glimmer of hope to the
long-term jobless and their families.
"Let's
get this done," implored President Barack Obama at the White House,
shortly after six Republicans sided with Democrats on a 60-37 Senate
vote to keep the measure alive.
Even so, the
fate of the three-month reinstatement remained uncertain in an
atmosphere of intense partisanship at the dawn of an election year.
The
two parties have made it clear they intend to battle for the support of
millions of voters who have suffered economically through the worst
recession in decades and the slow, plodding recovery that has followed.
The
often-cited phrase is "income disparity" - the gap between the rich and
the economically squeezed. Democrats are expected to follow the effort
on jobless benefits with another pocketbook measure, a proposal to
increase the federal minimum wage.
The
maneuvering on Tuesday was intense. Senate Republican leader Mitch
McConnell proposed paying for the renewal of federal jobless benefits by
delaying a requirement for millions of Americans to purchase coverage
under "Obamacare" - an attempt to force Democrats to take a public stand
on that highly controversial issue.
Democratic
leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who generally seeks to shield his rank and
file from politically painful votes, deemed McConnell's proposal a
non-starter.
At the same time, Reid and White
House officials suggested they would be receptive to cuts elsewhere in
the federal budget to offset the cost of a yearlong renewal of the
program, if Republicans would first agree to turn the benefits back on
for three months without preconditions.
Reid
also said he'd be willing to consider allowing votes on proposed
changes, but avoided a flat commitment on a demand Republicans said was
essential.
The legislation at the heart of the
maneuvering would restore benefits averaging $256 weekly to an
estimated 1.3 million long-term jobless Americans who were cut off when
the program expired Dec. 28. Duration of federal coverage generally
ranges from 14 to 47 weeks, depending on the level of unemployment
within individual states. The three-month cost to the Treasury is
estimated at $6.4 billion.
Without action by
Congress, hundreds of thousands more will feel the impact in the months
ahead as their state-funded benefits expire, generally after 26 weeks.
Democrats
had appeared poised to blame Republicans for blocking the legislation,
and the outcome of Tuesday's vote appeared to catch them off-guard.
The
six Republicans who voted to overcome a filibuster were Dean Heller of
Nevada, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Dan Coats of Indiana, Susan
Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rob Portman of Ohio.
Heller, Coats and Portman all represents states with unemployment above the national average of 7 percent.
Coats,
for one, immediately made clear that his vote came with conditions
attached. He said he opposes the measure as drafted, and would vote
against it on final passage if Reid "again obstructs senators from
offering amendments."
The Indiana Republican
said he believes any extension in benefits should be offset by cuts
elsewhere in the budget to prevent deficits from rising. He said he also
favors provisions to help "put Americans back to work," comments
similar to those made by McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner during
the day.
Reid, in comments to reporters, said
unemployment benefits had been extended several times when George W.
Bush was president and Congress did not insist on paying for them with
cuts elsewhere in the budget.
"This is new religion to them," he said of Republicans.
Any debate over paying for renewing jobless benefits is almost certain to circle back to a perennial disagreement over taxes.
In
last month's successful negotiations over spending legislation,
Democrats sought to close tax loopholes to keep deficits from rising.
Republicans refused, demanding spending cuts or higher fees instead.
At
the same time the two parties struggle with one another, Republicans
are also under pressure from outside groups who oppose any renewal of
jobless benefits, including some with ties to the tea party.
Any
legislation that clears the Senate would also have to make it through
the House, where dozens of tea party-aligned lawmakers are in office.
In
a statement issued shortly after the Senate vote, Boehner, R-Ohio,
said he has previously informed the White House that any measure to
renew unemployment benefits "should not only be paid for but include
something to help put people back to work. To date, the president has
offered no such plan. If he does, I'll be happy to discuss it."
At the White House, Obama, too, said he was siding with victims of the recession.
"These
aren't folks who are just sitting back, waiting for things to happen,"
he said. "They're out there actively looking for work."
At
issue is a system that provides as much as 47 weeks of federally funded
benefits, beginning after the exhaustion of state benefits, usually 26
weeks in duration.
The first tier of additional benefits is 14 weeks and generally available to all who have used up their state benefits.
An
additional 14 weeks is available in states where unemployment is 6
percent or higher. Nine more weeks of benefits are available in states
with joblessness of 7 percent or higher. In states where unemployment is
9 percent or higher, another 10 weeks of benefits are available.
Officials
also said a little-noticed provision in the legislation is specifically
designed to benefit the long-term unemployed in North Carolina, where
Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan faces a stiff challenge for a new term.
It
would make residents eligible for long-term benefits by permitting the
state to negotiate an agreement with the Department of Labor. State
residents are currently ineligible because of state benefits were
reduced below a federal standard.
