Senate Adjourns Without Passing Unemployment Extension

By CBS News Capitol Hill Producer John Nolen

The Senate adjourned on Friday afternoon for a two week spring recess without passing an extension to unemployment insurance benefits for the jobless which are scheduled to expire on April 5 while Congress is on vacation.

The Senate failed to act on a short term extension of benefits for unemployed workers, provide subsidies for health care coverage through COBRA and fix the scheduled reduction in payments to Medicare doctors.

Unemployment benefits expire on April 5. COBRA subsides and Medicare Doctor "fix" expire on March 28. Republicans led by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla, (at left) blocked a one month short term extension of the benefits package insisting that the package be paid for. This is similar to the measure Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky, tried to block last month.

Senate Democrats and Republicans appeared to reach some type of agreement Thursday night that would have been paid for the package, but that plan was rejected by the House.

Democrats have scheduled a vote when they return in April to try to end the Republican filibuster.