CNN 2010-03-06

So how's this for an example of "Broken Government"? No more time, no more money. And if you're depending on unemployment benefits to get by, forget about it.

Christine Romans joining me now live from New York.

Not good news, Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it's not good news for, frankly 1, millions of people here.

Kyra, normally -- in normal times if you're out of work you can apply for an unemployment insurance and you get 26 weeks of unemployment benefits on average. But now because of so many extensions in this great recession, not normal times, you can get up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits.

And this federal extension, the most recent federal extension, is slated 2 to run out today. As of today. And on Friday, a lone 3 senator, Jim Bunning from Kentucky, did not vote -- to help another extension go through. Actually a roadblock to that extension.

So you have 1.2 million people in March will lose their federal unemployment benefits extension. Five million by June. This is according to the National Employment Law Project.

There are 11.5 million people right now, Kyra, receiving unemployment benefits. Some of them for many, many months. On average there's some $400 and some a week that people are getting, and for many people who've been out of work for six months or more, this is how they are feeding their families.

So this is a pretty critical time for many people who are looking for those unemployment benefits to be extended. And they haven't yet. COBRA health insurance, as well. There's -- you might not know this, but taxpayers 4, you and I are helping 5 pay the premiums 6 for people who are out of work. People who are out of work, 65 percent of their premiums for their COBRA health insurance are paid by taxpayers. That also died on Friday in the Senate as well.

Now here's a little bit of glimmer 7 of hope here. Some of the Republicans are signaling and suggesting that they may be open to a patch, some kind of a near-term fix, but the longer term, since we've had so many extensions already, they want to have a big discussion, Kyra, about how we're going to pay for this. It doesn't come for free.

How are we going to pay for it? If it's so important to keep people getting these checks, then they want to know where we're going to get the money and are we going to take the money from someplace else.

So that's where we stand here right now. Looks like there could be some movement on this this week. Of course, no one's going to get backup checks for that. This is sort of lost time for those people who will not be able to get a federal check. So this is literally 8 millions of people -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, and the Senator Jim Bunning is the one right there that's voting against it, has a lot of people angry, and everyone is trying to talk to him and we haven't heard a peep yet. So we're still working that.

Christine Romans, thanks.

ROMANS: And he's taking a fiscal 9 stance, you know. He's saying if it's so important, tell me how are we going to pay for it. What are we going to take from someplace else to pay for it? But other Republicans are signaling that they might be ready to move forward -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Christine.