国际英语新闻：U.S. Senate passes jobless benefits bill

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate voted on Wednesday to extend unemployment benefits for millions of Americans who are out of work for more than six months.

The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 59 to 39, with two Republicans breaking the party line to vote for the measure.

The bill, with a price tag of 34 billion dollars, would restore benefits to more than 2.5 million unemployed people who have seen their checks cut off since the emergency program expired June 2.

People wait in line to enter the NYCHires Job Fair in New York February 24, 2010.

There are three main levels to unemployment insurance right now in the U.S. The first is basic states benefits that usually last for 26 weeks or about six months. After that, unemployed workers can apply for long-term federal jobless benefits, formally known as Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which is addressed by this bill. And the last level is joint state-federal extended benefits.

The House of Representatives has already passed an unemployment- benefits extension. But because the Senate's version is different, it must do it again. The House will take up the measure on Thursday for a final vote.

If the extension is finally approved, unemployed workers would be able to draw up to 99 weeks of aid through November averaging 309 dollars a week. That includes 26 weeks of basic aid offered by states, plus long-term federal payments.