US Senate passes stopgap unemployment measure

The US Senate passed a $10-billion emergency measure extending unemployment benefits, ending a procedural block by a Republican senator that prevented payments to thousands since Sunday.

The measure passed late on Tuesday in a 78-19 vote after the majority Democrats included an amendment proposed by the senator who caused the headache, Kentucky's Jim Bunning, on changing the way the measure was to be financed so it would not add to the deficit.

The 30-day emergency funding measure will now go before President Barack Obama to be signed into law.

Mr Obama said he was "grateful to the members of the Senate on both sides of the aisle who worked to end this roadblock to relief for America's working families."

"The Bill passed tonight by the Senate will extend access to health care benefits for workers who have lost their jobs, help small businesses get loans so they can grow and hire, and extend unemployment insurance benefits for millions of Americans who are looking for work."

The emergency measure, needed after the previous funding Bill expired on Sunday, also provides for highway maintenance until the end of March.

Mr Bunning's logjam was strongly criticised by lawmakers.

House of Representatives Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Mr Bunning's opposition was impacting 100,000 people immediately, 400,000 in the next two weeks and 1.5 million by the end of the month, and three million after two months.

"It's not about the legislative process or Senate rules," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"It's about the rights of individuals to survive in America. It's about families putting food on the table, making their car payments, their house payments, sending their kids to school."

The Senate will now take up a $150 billion, long-term measure extending unemployment benefits and tax breaks for individuals and businesses to the end of the year.