Jobless aid bill OKd, sent to the president

WASHINGTON - Congress gave final approval Thursday to an extension of unemployment benefits and sent the legislation to President Obama for his signature.

The last step was a vote in the House, which voted, 272-152, for the bill. The Senate had approved the measure, which restores benefits for Americans who have been out of work for six months or more, on Wednesday.

Obama has promised to sign the bill quickly, ending a seven-week interruption that caused 2.5 million people to lose unemployment benefits averaging about $300 a week.

The extension is just one piece of a larger Democratic jobs agenda that has otherwise mostly collapsed after months of battles with Republicans.

Retroactive payments of jobless benefits could go out as early as next week in some states, while in others it could take a few weeks for beneficiaries to receive their money under the legislation, which provides much-needed help to five million eligible unemployed workers. About half of those eligible have had their benefits cut off since funding expired June 2.

"Americans who are working day and night to get back on their feet and support their families in these tough economic times deserve more than obstruction and partisan game-playing," Obama said in a statement Wednesday night.

The extension measure is what remains of a Democratic effort launched in February to renew elements of last year's stimulus bill. But GOP opposition forced Democrats to drop $24 billion in aid to state governments to help them avoid layoffs and higher taxes, as well as a popular package of expired tax cuts and a health insurance subsidy for the unemployed.

Most Republicans opposed the measure because it would add $34 billion to a national debt that has hit $13 trillion, arguing that it should have been paid for with cuts to other programs, such as unspent money from last year's economic-stimulus bill, which is earning mixed grades at best from voters as unemployment averages 9.5 percent nationwide.

Thirty-one Republicans in the House voted for the measure, while 10 Democrats opposed it.

"The other side says that these unemployment benefits stretching to almost two years are needed and must be added to the $13 trillion debt, even as they claim their trillion-dollar stimulus plan has been a success at creating millions of jobs," said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La. "It makes you wonder if they're looking at the same jobs data as the rest of us."

The first 26 weeks of jobless benefits are paid for by the states. Thursday's legislation renews a federally financed program providing up to 73 additional weeks of benefits in states with high unemployment rates.

Those who have had their benefits cut off since funding expired June 2 are eligible for lump-sum retroactive payments that are typically delivered directly to their bank accounts or credited to state-issued debit cards.