Senate Passes Jobless Benefits

The Senate voted 59-39 to approve unemployment-benefits extensions for millions of people who have been out of work for more than six months. The House is expected to pass the bill Thursday, and President Obama is expected to quickly sign it. It will allow states to retroactively give unemployment benefits to 2.5 million people who have been cut off since the original bill expired June 2, and will allow jobless people to receive up to 99 weeks of income aid until November. The bill had been tied up in a partisan battle, with Republicans claiming the bill's $34 billion price tag would only add to the debt burden.