The Senate is poised to take a key procedural vote on whether to move forward with an extension of federal unemployment benefits for 1.3 million jobless Americans, with Democrats hoping to overcome a strong partisan divide on the issue.
Although Tuesday's vote is procedural, it will indicate whether there's enough Republican support to move the Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which expired on Dec. 28, forward to a full vote. As The Associated Press writes, the measure "is the leading edge of a Democratic program that also includes raising the minimum wage and closing tax loopholes on the wealthy and corporations."
As NPR's Craig Windham reports, "GOP lawmakers say they oppose the bill because it does not include offsets-spending cuts to pay the cost" of the extension.
However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), says the extensions have been considered emergency measures in the past and have always passed without offsets.
The vote was originally scheduled for Monday evening, but it was abruptly delayed because, as Politico reports, supporters did not have the votes they needed.
On Monday, Politico wrote:
"Democrats need five Republicans to join them to advance the legislation ... So far, there are just two Republicans publicly committed to supporting the legislation as written: [Maine Sen. Susan] Collins and Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who co-sponsored the measure with [Rhode Island Democrat] Sen. Jack Reed."