The Senates negotiation attempts to extend emergency benefits for the long-term jobless standstill failed on Tuesday. Democrats and Republicans both accused the other of bad-faith negotiations and rejected each other’s proposals. This leaves more than 1.3 million people without federal unemployment aid until at least late January, when lawmakers can resume consideration of the legislation.
Parliamentary votes to advance the legislation failed as senators moved on to debate the bill to fund government agencies throughout the 2014 year. Congress leaves town Friday for a weeklong recess and is scheduled to return January 27. This is the earliest that Congress can meet to retry the unemployment benefits plan.
