WASHINGTON (PAI) – Two separate Republican filibusters on June 24 and June 30 blocked extended jobless benefits for the nation’s unemployed, putting money for millions of jobless workers in limbo after the July 4 holiday.

On June 24, by a 57-41 margin, a successful Senate Republican filibuster killed an extension of unemployment benefits that were part of a jobs bill, even after Democratic leaders watered it down to attract support.

Then on June 30, 57 Democrats were joined by two Republican senators from Maine (the only Republicans supporting the measure) but fell one vote shy of overcoming the GOP filibuster of $34 billion in aid, which would have extended jobless money through November .

The failure of the legislation in the Senate, according to the Washington Post, ensures that more than two million people will have their checks cut off before Congress returns to Washington after a week-long break. On top of that, the Labor Department estimates that more than 1.2 million people already have lost their benefits.

“We’ve tried for eight weeks to pass a jobs bill and continue help for people out of work,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). “”Despite a tremendous amount of negotiation, we’ve come up short every time. People in Michigan are desperate, and they hope we can get over the partisan wrangling. People want help, and they want to know who’s on their side.”

Republican Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) said he was prepared to provide the vote needed extend jobless benefits on June 30, but Democrats had rejected his request to pay for at least half of the expenditure through unspent money from the federal stimulus program.

“More than any other one issue,” reported Politico, “the impasse over jobless benefits has come to dramatize the Republicans’ almost single-minded focus on deficit reduction as an economic – and campaign – theme this election year.”

Democrats had jettisoned numerous other provisions from previous jobless aid measures, including $16 billion for cash-strapped state governments, $1 billion for summer jobs and $32 billion in special-interest tax breaks that expired earlier this year.

“Democrats,” said Voinovich, “are more interested in having this issue to demagogue for political gamesmanship than they are in simply passing the benefits extension. I came to the table with a fair compromise and the ball is in their court.”

Countered Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: “We have a basic responsibility to help our constituents respond to emergencies. We have a fundamental obligation not to deny them the help they need when they need it the most.”

The 9.7 percent national jobless rate, Dems argued, constitutes a continuing  emergency that under congressional budget rules, has traditionally been addressed through deficit spending when it comes to aid for the jobless.

Tom McMahon, acting executive director of labor-backed Americans United for Change, asked: “Haven’t Republicans in Congress cost enough Americans their jobs already?” After pointing out the GOP opposed past recovery efforts, too, McMahon warned that failure of this bill will cause immediate hurt.

“Interestingly, the same Republicans who are drawing this illogical line in the sand on the short-term deficit had no problem coming up with the money to bail out the Wall Street banks,” McMahon said.  “They had no problems throwing Bush’s prescription drug program or the war in Iraq on the nation’s credit card.” He added: “Fewer jobs mean less tax revenue and more people seeking  public assistance.”

Several news sources reported that the bill will likely be passed some time in July, when a replacement for the late Sen. Robert Byrd is seated. But for jobless people who see those benefits as a lifeline, the interruption of a few weeks could be devastating.

“For Democrats,” Politico said, “especially from high unemployment states like Michigan and Rhode Island, the lost relief is not just important to the workers but the larger state economies.

The fact that the cost – $34 billion – is virtually identical to new war funding in a bill Democrats must try to complete before the recess adds to the bitterness.” (Press Associates contributed).