Republican leader John Boehner nixes unemployment insurance extension

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-boehner-nixes-unemployment-insurance-extension/

By/Rebecca Kaplan/CBS News/March 19, 2014

Fresh criticism of a Senate bill to extend a lapsed unemployment insurance program has all but killed the chances that it will become law just a week after a compromise deal on the issue raised its prospects for the first time in months.

Before the Senate left town last week, 10 senators reached a compromise to reauthorize the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program for five months, in addition to retroactively paying benefits that expired on Dec. 28. The bill was fully paid for and would introduce reforms to the program including ending payments to wealthy individuals and giving more individualized aid to the long-term unemployed.
Pelosi: House Republicans in "far extreme" on unemployment insurance

But House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said the bill has no chance in his chamber in the wake of a letter he received from National Association of State Work Force Agencies, which says the requirements of the Senate bill would, "cause considerable delays in the implementation of the program and increased administrative issues and costs."

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House Democrats are filing a "discharge petition," which would force the Republican leadership to put their version of an unemployment benefits extension up for a vote if a majority of House members sign on. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Wednesday there were more than 100 House Democrats who were immediately signing the petition, but it's unlikely to get enough Republican support to make it to the floor.