It’s up to the House to act next on an unemployment extension, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday.  

“We need to get some movement in the House,” he said at his weekly press conference. “We’ve already passed an unemployment extension over here and the House, in their typical fashion, has done nothing.”  

Reid applauded efforts by Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and  Dean Heller, R-Nev., “to keep the issue alive.”  

The two unveiled their latest proposal for a five-month unemployment extension earlier Tuesday.  But Reid’s statement suggests their latest bill won’t reach the Senate floor.  

And House action is unlikely as Speaker A. John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said he wants to help boost the economy and create jobs rather than just revive emergency unemployment compensation.  

“The speaker laid out the criteria before Christmas: We will take a look at any plan that is fiscally-responsible, and does something to help create private-sector jobs,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said in an email. Republicans have in the past pointed to a pileup of House bills in the Senate as examples of items they would consider attaching to an unemployment extension.  

The proposal is the latest iteration of the five-month measure. The Senate in April passed the previous version that would have provided benefits going back to late December when they expired.  

The current version is prospective, providing benefits for five months beginning the day of enactment.  

More than 3 million people have been cut off the emergency unemployment benefits since they expired.  

   

Related:

Carney: A ‘Shame’ Unemployment Extension is Going Nowhere


Will Obama Call Boehner on Unemployment Extension?


Perez Offers to Negotiate Unemployment Extension With Boehner


Senate Passes Unemployment Benefits Extension


Unemployment Extension Vote Not Worrying House Republicans

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