Senate moves to limit debate on bill containing EUC

WASHINGTON, April 3 (UPI) -- The Senate bill that contains a measure to restart payments for unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless passed its final procedural hurdle Thursday.

Members voted 60-36 on final passage of the amendment, which will extend benefits for five months and make retroactive payments for those jobless who lost coverage when the program expired last December.

Then, they voted 61-35 to invoke cloture on the full bill, the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, which will limit debate to 30 hours and set the full measure up for easy passage Monday evening.

Passage of the full bill will require just 51 votes to pass the Senate, but it still faces long odds in the House, with Speaker John Boehner indicating he is unlikely to bring the measure to the floor.