Senators have reached agreement to end Sen. Jim Bunning’s filibuster of $10 billion in benefits for unemployed workers and road projects, Bunning’s office and Democratic officials said.
The agreement, officials said, calls for two votes: one on the package itself and another on a measure to pay for it, as Bunning demanded.
The Senate adjourned last week without approving extensions of cash and health insurance benefits for the unemployed after Bunning blocked the measure by insisting that Congress first pay for the $10 billion package.
The extension needed unanimous consent to pass because Democrats have labeled it an emergency spending measure. Bunning rejected a motion for unanimous consent again Tuesday morning.
Bunning, who is retiring at the end of this year, has said he doesn’t oppose extending the programs; he just doesn’t want to add to the deficit. Democrats argue that, because it is an emergency measure, the bill should not be subject to new rules requiring that legislation not expand the deficit.
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Article courtesy cnn.com
