House Democrats to try again after unemployment bill fails

House Republicans narrowly blocked a bill to extend unemployment benefits from getting a veto-proof majority Wednesday, in a vote that Democrats said will come back to haunt them in the November election.

But it will come back to the House floor even sooner, as leaders said they will bring up the bill again Thursday, starting a veto standoff with Bush as economic worries grow across the country.

{mosads}Democrats had tried to pass the bill on the fast-track “suspension” calendar, which requires the same two-thirds majority as overriding a veto. The 279-144 result fell three votes short.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) immediately announced plans to bring another version of the bill to the Rules Committee, which would allow it to be voted on Thursday and would not require a two-thirds vote.

“It is not in good conscience to walk away from this,” Hoyer said.

Five Democrats were absent: Reps. Bruce Braley of Iowa, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, David Loebsack of Iowa, Solomon Ortiz of Texas and Bobby Rush of Illinois, who has been out sick.

It’s not clear if their presence would have changed the outcome. Hoyer said he believes Republicans were managing the vote, allowing some members to vote for the popular bill, but preventing it from getting a two-thirds majority.

Currently, people who are out of work can get unemployment checks for 26 weeks. The legislation would keep them coming for an additional 13 weeks, and an extra 13 weeks after that in states where unemployment is higher than 6 percent.

Democrats rushed the bill to the House floor after the Labor Department last week reported that the unemployment rate had jumped from 5 percent to 5.5 percent, the largest monthly increase in 20 years.

President Bush threatened to veto the emergency supplemental spending bill if the unemployment extension was included. The administration has argued that Congress should wait to see the impact of the economic stimulus passed earlier this year.

Republican leaders Wednesday complained that the bill took out a requirement that people should have to work 20 weeks before they’re eligible for unemployment checks and argued that the bill should be targeted at states with high unemployment.

“I’m open to extending unemployment benefits, but I think this bill that we have before us falls far short of what we need to do,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).

Republicans have also argued that the unemployment rate is lower than the 5.7 percent rate when Bush extended unemployment benefits in 2002. They also want to limit the extension to states that have unemployment rates above 6 percent.

But Democrats say the benefits go to hardworking people who have fallen on hard times and accuse opponents of being indifferent to those tripped up by the worsening economy.

“One hundred and forty-five Republicans stood with George Bush and said, ‘No’ to the unemployed of this country,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.). “There is no better reason to vote for change in November.”

In Wednesday’s vote, 49 Republicans voted for the bill, including many who face tight reelection contests.

Among them were Reps. Don Young (Alaska), Christopher Shays (Conn.), Tim Walberg (Mich.), Randy Kuhl (N.Y.), Robin Hayes (N.C.), Steve Chabot (Ohio) and Dave Reichert (Wash.).

Targeted Republicans who voted against the bill include Reps. Marilyn Musgrave (Colo.) and Mark Kirk (Ill.).