A three-month extension of unemployment benefits for 1.7 million of us failed today in the Senate by just one vote. They had 59 votes, which is of course a majority, but because of the filibuster you need 60.
These four Republicans voted in favor: Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine, Dean Heller of Nevada, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Six Republican senators joined with the Democrats to break a filibuster for a three-month extension of the unemployment benefits that expired on December 28. The vote was 60-37 (Dem Mark Begich of Alaska couldn’t get there).
Thank you to these “good” Republicans — Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Dan Coats of Indiana, Dean Heller of Nevada, and Rob Portman of Ohio — for doing the right thing — at least procedurally — for both our long-term unemployed and our economy.
But now they move to the substantive vote — and they still have to find a way to pay for the thing, so it’s far from done.
Then, of course, it would take a miracle to get it through the House, where 207 of the GOP seats are considered safe, so no incentive to rock the boat there .
Embattled Farmers 