WASHINGTON — With the bleak jobs outlook unlikely to improve soon, legislation that makes federal unemployment benefits available through December is awaiting President Bush's signature.
Only people who exhaust all their state aid — generally 26 weeks — will be eligible for the 13 weeks of emergency benefits once the bill becomes law.
However, jobless Americans who live in the high unemployment states of Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania will get 26 weeks.
But about a million people who have already used up their state and federal benefits won't get any new aid.
Congress sent the bill to Bush's desk Friday before adjourning for a weeklong holiday recess, beating a May 31 deadline when the program expires.
The nation's unemployment rate is 6 percent, almost 2 percentage points higher than when Bush took office. About 8.8 million people are out of work, victims of a struggling economy that is stuck in low gear without producing new jobs.
Meanwhile, layoffs mount. Boeing Co. announced Friday it will let go 1,150 employees as part of continuing cutbacks.
Republicans are mindful that a bleak economic outlook could be a problem when they try to hold the White House and Congress in next year's elections.
In an effort to jump-start a recovery, Congress also sent Bush on Friday a $350 billion package heavy on tax cuts. Blunting Democrats' attacks, Republicans then followed by pushing through the $7.4 billion extension of unemployment benefits.
"We've demonstrated that we accomplish things, not just talk about them," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.
In passing the unemployment extension, the Senate voted to approve a House bill that passed Thursday night, speeding the process.
Democrats lost another attempt Friday to provide more generous jobless benefits.
"We are not going to pass a major expansion," said Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. "We're not going to do it; I'll tell you that right now. So you can make all the speeches you want to."
Democrats think Bush and Republicans are politically vulnerable because of the weak economy and continued tax cuts that they say do little to help most Americans.
"This body voted for a tax bill today that provides billions for the wealthiest and not a cent for unemployed workers — not one dime, not one nickel, not one penny for those hardworking men and women who are suffering most from the economic crisis," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
It was the third time Congress has acted on unemployment.
The program was passed as part of an economic stimulus package last year, and extended in January as the first order of business of the new Congress. That extension was continued yet again Friday, through Dec. 31.