June 29, 2010 | From CNN Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh
Washington (CNN) - The House of Representatives failed Tuesday to pass a bill that would extend long-term unemployment benefits through the end of November.
The legislation would have made the benefits effective retroactively, allowing those who may have been cut off from unemployment insurance at the end of May to collect those federal payments.
The House last month approved an extension of unemployment benefits in a larger package that also included an extension of health care insurance for the unemployed and some popular tax breaks, but that package is stalled in the Senate.
"We believe that passing unemployment insurance is critical for individuals, for families, for communities, for the country and for the economy," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, said at his weekly session with reporters.
The bill costs $34 billion in new deficit spending, which the Democrats say does not need to be offset because they consider jobless benefits an emergency expense.
Senate Democratic leaders have opposed a separate bill extending jobless benefits, instead favoring the larger package, which has failed to get the 60 votes needed for Senate approval.
House Ways and Means Chairman Sander Levin told reporters Democrats will put the same bill back on the floor Wednesday and predicted it will pass. Levin also said he's in discussions with Senate leaders about a vote in the Senate on the bill.
Washington (CNN) - The House of Representatives failed Tuesday to pass a bill that would extend long-term unemployment benefits through the end of November.
The legislation would have made the benefits effective retroactively, allowing those who may have been cut off from unemployment insurance at the end of May to collect those federal payments.
The House last month approved an extension of unemployment benefits in a larger package that also included an extension of health care insurance for the unemployed and some popular tax breaks, but that package is stalled in the Senate.
"We believe that passing unemployment insurance is critical for individuals, for families, for communities, for the country and for the economy," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, said at his weekly session with reporters.
The bill costs $34 billion in new deficit spending, which the Democrats say does not need to be offset because they consider jobless benefits an emergency expense.
Senate Democratic leaders have opposed a separate bill extending jobless benefits, instead favoring the larger package, which has failed to get the 60 votes needed for Senate approval.
House Ways and Means Chairman Sander Levin told reporters Democrats will put the same bill back on the floor Wednesday and predicted it will pass. Levin also said he's in discussions with Senate leaders about a vote in the Senate on the bill.
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