Why Republicans may come around on extending unemployment benefits

Republicans aren't keen on extending benefits just yet. They're also not keen on blowing the midterm elections.

Rand Paul
(Image credit: (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images))

The Senate will hold a procedural vote Monday evening on a plan to extend emergency unemployment benefits by three months, and it's expected that almost all Republicans will team up to nix the proposal. And even if a handful of GOP Senators were to help Democrats advance the measure, the bill would face almost certain defeat in the House.

However, Republicans have signaled they're not necessarily opposed to any extension, but rather that they just don't like the current proposal since it wouldn't be offset with matching cuts or other compromises. And given that the party's 2014 strategy is primarily to avoid self-inflicted harm at all costs, it's not unthinkable that Republicans could soon be swayed into voting through an extension.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.