I notice on the sitemeter that viewers are trying to find out if the unemployment extension bill has passed in the Senate. To recap: The Senate passed the closure vote on amendments of the bill. Senator Reid has to wait 30 hours before having a final Senate floor vote. Well, that changed again. The GOP Senate is obstructing the vote again. Final vote will take place this Thursday instead of Wednesday. Here is the latest:
Gather.com:
Well there goes my cock-eyed optimism of yesterday. GOP senators will not acquiesce to an accelerated (relatively speaking) vote on pending federal unemployment benefits extension legislation HR 3548. Despite the passage of an overwhelming cloture vote, Republicans can take up to 30 hours to debate - in practice, stall - before yet another cloture vote can be held to move forward; this means another 30 hours' minimum buffer before a final roll call vote on the unemployment extension can proceed. It now looks like this vote will take place this Thursday at the earliest.
The GOP will vote for the extension, of course - this bill has broad bipartisan support. They wouldn't want to be seen voting against such vital legislation.
But voters in their home states may well remember these obstructive tactics none too fondly come election time.
According to this ticker at the Senate Dems website, over 187,000 Americans have lost their benefits in the time since the GOP began blocking this legislation. Abominable.
Also, Congress Daily's Peter Cohn (subscription required):
Monday's vote cut off debate on the substitute amendment from Majority Leader Reid and Finance Chairman Max Baucus adding the tax breaks to the underlying unemployment insurance bill. Another cloture vote, this time on the amended bill, could occur as late as 11:40 tonight unless Republicans yield back time or agree to vitiate cloture. Even if cloture is invoked, Republicans would have up to another 30 hours to debate, pushing final passage off until Thursday.
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