With the bare minimum of votes required to avoid a filibuster, the bill to extend unemployment benefits cleared the most important procedural hurdle in the Senate and advanced to a final vote and all but certain passage, expected later today.
Democrats in the Senate moved ahead with the bill after an interim appointee, Carte Goodwin, was sworn in this afternoon to fill the West Virginia seat left vacant by the death of Robert C. Byrd and provide the 60th yes in a largely party-line vote. The bill is expected to be approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
