Senate Democrats to try again to extend unemployment benefits

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Elected in 1974, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) announced Jan. 31 that he would end his 40-year run as one of the House’s most liberal members. Elected in the wake of Watergate, Waxman went on to play a role in passing several pieces of notable legislation. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

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Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee since 2011, Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) said Jan. 16 that he would step down after representing the 25th District for more than two decades. “I never planned on being here until they carried me out,” he told the Los Angeles Times. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

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Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez), dean of the California congressional delegation, announced Jan. 13 that he will retire from Congress, ending a 40-year tenure. Elected in 1974, Miller has served as chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Education and Labor. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

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Facing a tough reelection race, Rep. Gary Miller (R-Rancho Cucamonga) said Feb. 12 that he would step down at the end of his term. “While there is still a lot of work to be done, it is now time for me to pass the baton,” the former Diamond Bar mayor said in a statement. (Dennis Cook / Associated Press)

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Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) left the Senate after he was confirmed Feb. 6 to serve as the next ambassador to China. Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Baucus played a key role in writing what became President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images)

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Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a fiscal conservative who was first elected in 1995, said Jan. 16 that he will retire after 2014. Though he is battling prostate cancer, Coburn said in a statement that the decision “isn’t about my health, my prognosis or even my hopes and desires.” (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

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At 87, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest-serving member of Congress, announced Feb. 24 that he will retire at the end of his current term. First elected in 1955, Dingell served 31 terms in the House during 11 presidencies. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

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After pleading guilty to a charge of cocaine possession, Rep. Trey Radel (R-Fla.) announced he would resign from Congress. Initially, Radel planned to remain in his seat, but chose to step down amid GOP calls for his resignation and a House Ethics Committee probe. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

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Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.) announced Feb. 4 that he would resign from Congress that month to take a job with a law firm. Andrews, who was first elected in 1990, was under investigation for reportedly misusing campaign funds. (Mel Evans / AP)

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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., told a Detroit radio station March 28 that he will not seek reelection. Starting in January 2015, the seven-term Republican congressman and former FBI agent will host a national radio program on Cumulus Media. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

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House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) announced March 31 that he plans to step down after 24 years in Congress. Camp said he decided to retire after “much consideration and discussion with my family” but plans to continue working until his term expires. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

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House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) announced Feb. 13 that he would not seek reelection. First elected in 1994, Hastings said in a statement that “it is time for the voters to choose a new person with new energy to represent them in the people’s House.” (Dennis Cook / Associated Press)

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Six-term Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Penn.), the founder of the House Land Conservation Caucus, announced Jan. 6 that he would retire from the House at the end of his term. “It is simply time for me to move on to new challenges and to spend more time with my wife and family,” Gerlach said. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press)

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After 23 years in the House, Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) announced Feb. 27 that he plans to retire at the end of his current term. First elected in 1991, Pastor became the state’s first Latino representative. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

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Ending a 35-year career in Congress, Rep. Tom Petri, R-Wis., announced plans to retire at the end of his term. Petri, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in an announcement April 11 that several factors contributed to his decision. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press)

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Rep. James Moran (D-Va.) announced Jan. 15 that he would step down from the seat he’s occupied for two decades. The ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Interior subcommittee, Moran said in a news release that his retirement marked the right time to “move on to the next challenge.” (Kris Connor / Getty Images)

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Rep. Rush D. Holt (D-N.J.), a nuclear physicist who represents central New Jersey’s 12th District, announced Feb. 18 that he will not seek reelection in November. The eight-term congressman said “the end of this year seems to me to be the right time to step aside.” (Mel Evans / Associated Press)

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First elected to Congress in a 2009 special election, Rep. Bill Owens (D-N.Y.) announced his retirement on Jan. 14, saying in a statement that he wanted to focus on new opportunities and spend more time with his family. (Mike Groll / Associated Press)

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Undergoing treatment for lung cancer, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) announced her plans to retire Jan. 8, saying in a statement that she looks forward to returning to private life, working “as a citizen activist for the causes and principles that are so close to my heart.” (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press)

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First elected in 1996, Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) announced his intentions Jan. 8 to step down after 18 years in the House of Representatives. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

By Lisa Mascaro

Feb. 6, 2014 5 AM PT

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WASHINGTON --The Senate is poised Thursday to try again to extend unemployment benefits for 1.7 million Americans with a new Democratic proposal that aims to attract Republican support by prohibiting millionaires from receiving aid.

It remains to be seen whether Republican senators will sign on.

Democrats, who have the majority in the Senate, need a handful of Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance the legislation. Several Republicans have indicated they want to provide benefits that have run out for the long-term unemployed; others in the party believe the aid is a disincentive to work.

But many Senate Republicans continue to balk over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s refusal to allow amendments that GOP leaders would like to attach to the bill, including some that are not directly related to jobless aid.

Their dispute stems from bitter filibuster fights last year, and Republicans are unlikely to give their support unless they are guaranteed a chance to amend the legislation.

PHOTOS: Politics in 2014

In the meantime, Democrats are happy to continue raising the issue in an election year, which puts the party on the side of most Americans who favor extending unemployment aid.

President Obama has pushed jobless aid as a central issue in the party’s reelection strategy. More than 1.7 million Americans are no longer eligible for benefits beyond the 26 weeks offered by most states. Benefits expired late last year, as Congress stalemated. An additional 72,000 people join the rolls each week.

The current proposal would extend benefits until March 31, and it meets the Republican demand that the costs be offset. The $6.4-billion price tag would be paid for by continuing a previously approved change in private pension requirements that is expected to temporarily increase tax revenues. Those with adjusted gross income above $1 million last year would be ineligible, drawing from a proposal by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

“This will be a crucial vote and a critical test of whether Congress can listen to the American people and come together to do what is in the best interest of our economy,” said Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the bill’s sponsor, whose state now has the highest unemployment rate, at 9.1%.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

Twitter: @lisamascaroinDC

Senate Democrats to try again to extend unemployment benefits

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