The American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213), stalled when Senate Democrats failed to get the 60 votes needed to end a Republican filibuster against the bill. The motion to end the filibuster, known as a “motion to invoke cloture,” failed by a vote of 57-41.
The bill also contained provisions that would have funneled more federal assistance to the states, funded summer youth jobs programs and extended several business tax breaks.
Opponents of the bill objected to its $85.5 billion cost, an amount they said would have increased the $1.26 trillion federal deficit by $35 billion.
The states typically pay unemployment compensation benefits to eligible unemployed workers for up to 26 weeks. In periods of very high and rising unemployment nationwide or in individual states, “extended benefits” may be paid for as long as 13 to 46 additional weeks, depending on state law. The cost of the extended benefits is paid equally from state and federal funds.
