The Senate passed a $34 billion emergency extension of federal unemployment benefits this afternoon, after weeks of filibustering by the GOP and the death of Robert Byrd left the Democrats short of the 60 votes that every piece of legislation in the Senate needs to pass. Maine’s Republican mavericks, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, joined every Democrat except for Nebraska’s Ben Nelson, including brand-new temporary senator Carte Goodwin, to get the bill through. It will help nearly 5 million out-of-work Americans, who, despite the obvious scarcity of available jobs, are probably just being lazy. [Politico]
