Quick vote to extend unemployment benefits fails

Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- Key Senate Democrats tried unsuccessfully today to quickly pass legislation to give jobless workers in Michigan and other hard-hit states an additional 20 weeks of unemployment benefits.

That delays action on the high-stakes issue until at least next week.

Tom Clementson, a 58-year-old unemployed construction worker in Indian River, expressed frustration by the Senate's slow pace.

"So many people are out of work and need this extra money to put food on the table," said Clementson, who cashed his last check six weeks ago. "It seems like the Senate should spend more time on getting this passed."

Today's failed effort to quickly pass a bill followed the unveiling of a compromise bill by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and key allies. The bill would give all states an extra 14 weeks of jobless benefits, plus an extra six weeks for states with unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or greater.

Michigan has a jobless rate of 15.2 percent -- the highest in the nation.

Short of action by Congress, tens of thousands of unemployed workers in Michigan will run through their last benefits by the end of the year.

Reid introduced the bill after reaching a deal with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who had balked at the House-passed bill, which only gives extra benefits to the hardest-hit states.

Also sponsoring the bill are Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana and Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

But when Reid asked senators to quickly pass the bill under a speedy procedure, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., objected. That's enough to prevent a quick vote.

Kyl said he wanted to have time to look at the proposal and consider possible Republican amendments, and also ask the independent Congressional Budget Office to estimate its cost.

Reid, Shaheen and their allies said the extra weeks of unemployment would be paid for by extending a surtax on businesses through June 30, 2011.

Businesses pay a $56 tax per employee each year for the unemployment insurance program. That includes a $14 surtax, which is what Reid and others propose to extend to raise $2.4 billion to pay for the extra jobless benefits.

"We have a responsibility to help those workers pay their mortgages and keep food on the table," Shaheen said. "... Unemployment compensation is money that gets spent immediately on necessities. People who are out of work need this money to help pay the rent, pay their mortgages, buy food, pay for gas."

While objecting to quick passage, Kyl said he expects "at the appropriate time," Republicans will "be able to work out some kind of agreement."

The House version, passed Sept. 22, would give an additional 13 weeks to states with unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or more.

If the Senate passes additional benefits -- as is expected -- a House-Senate conference will have to come up with a compromise bill that can pass both chambers. The White House has signaled President Barack Obama's eventual support.

dprice@detnews.com (202) 662-8736