Congress restores jobless benefits

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On April 15, Congress approved an $18 billion measure to continue unemployment benefits until June 2 and block scheduled cuts in Medicare payments to doctors, according to The Washington Post.

The bill restores unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands of Americans whose unemployment checks were discontinued as Congress debated whether the cost should be added to the federal deficit. The Senate voted 59-38 to approve the measure, and the House voted 289-112.

The bill is designed to give lawmakers more time to negotiate an extension of a current law allowing unemployed individuals to collect as many as 99 weeks of unemployment aid.

Sens. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) joined Democrats to vote for the extension.

4/16/2010

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