Senate Advances Unemployment Aid

Six Republican senators joined with Democrats to extend unemployment insurance, making it all but assured the bill will pass. New Hampshire’s Kelly Ayotte, Indiana’s Dan Coats, Maine’s Susan Collins, Nevada’s Dean Heller, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, and Ohio’s Rob Portman all voted for the extension. Heller and Collins had both thrown their support behind the bill earlier, but Ayotte and Coats came as a last-minute surprise. The bill will bring back unemployment benefits that expired on December 28 and extend them for three months.