WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Republicans are blocking speedy passage of a stopgap bill to extend jobless benefits, saying its $9 billion cost should not be added to the national debt.
The clash comes less than a month after Republicans shied away from a similar battle that led to an interruption in unemployment benefits eligibility for some people and a two-day furlough for some Transportation Department employees.
Last month, Kentucky Republican Jim Bunning blocked a similar extension of jobless benefits but ended up on the losing end of a public relations battle and backed away.
Now, it's Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn who's insisting that the measure be financed with money from last year's economic stimulus bill.
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