this is al jazeera america. will 1.3 million people have their unemployment benefits restored? the senate back in session today to make the call. in danger of slipping backward, fighting in iran today unlike what we've seen in years.

>> as many as 140 million americans are affected by the freezing temperatures. in chornlings, alaska whic anchorage, alaska, which is used to the cold, and chicago it was negative 18°. wind chills up to negative 45! >> one democrat did make the vote, the senator from alaska so if any of those republicans hadn't voted they wouldn't have been able to get to the fle flesh -- threshold. and this is important. a requirement of these benefits, you do have to keep looking for work, but they ran out on december 28th. republicans have talked a lot about the pay for, how will it actually be funded, so it will be a much tougher hurdle to over

come in the house. >> libby somewhat of a shuffle in the senate as well as this vote was supposed to have taken place last night. what happened? why the delay? >> that's right. we did see it postponed because so many senators were not able to get back in town. there was also somewhat of a surprise, they took a vote on confirming janet yellen, and got enough results for that, but one of the republicans spoke up and said it is not fair if not everybody is here, so they postponed it to this morning, and only three senators not casting votes in this last one. >> libby casey stand by, as we mentioned time and time again, we're awaiting word from the house, the president will be addressing the issue of unemployment benefits. mike viqueira is at the white house, mike the president is preparing once again to use the

bully pulpit of the white house. >> that's right. and this will be the first time we do see the president in 2014. -- the first time in an official capacity since the christmas break. we will see him in the east room. this comes after a weekend in which the president did apply some behind the scenes pressure making some calls to senators, and evidently that has now born fruit. while libby was on the air, house speaker john boehner put out a statement in an email to reporter. the bottom line is he told the white house before christmas he would pass the extension if it were paid for. the senate bill is not paid for, in other words it would cost the

federal treasury about $6.5 billion. there is no offsetting, either cost cuts or revenue raisers in that to offset that $6.5 billion. john boehner saying now he is not going to take it up in the house unless that happens. that is not a very high hurdle, but another way to look at this is there an opening now in the house of representatives to do this. after all it was a republican senator teaming with jack reid from rhode island, and the senator from nevada, a high unemployment state, so the president as you reported, dell, will be surrounded by folks who would benefit from this unemployment extension. unemployment administered by the

states. if you file for unemployment, you are eligible for about 26 weeks. what the federal government has done in the past several years, extended those for the long-term unemployment. now the long-term unemployed number is still historically high. normally when these benefits are cut or allowed to lapse as they have, the long-term unemployment rate is much lower on average at 1.3%. so there is a case to be made from an historical standpoint. the question as ever here in washington. ideologyists are not happy with this. >> mike viqueira, and libby casey will stand by. we are going to take a break. the question is scheduled to speak to reporters at about

11:40. and we come tack we'll talk about the holiday recess and what that has meant for politicians in washington. if passed the bill would reinstate benefits for those who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more. our libby casey, is in washington, good to see you libby, we have a bill, what's

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters in new york. again, we are watching the white house. the president scheduled to speak at 11:40 am eastern time. he is going to be talking about urging congress to extend those unemployment benefits for about 1.3 million americans. as you can see it is a crowded room. he will be surrounded by some of those who have already lost their benefits. we also want to take the time to

get you caught up on some of the other stories. one of which being the extreme cold out there. diane eastabrook is standing by in a suburb of chicago. diane it is extremely cold and very dangerous out here. >> it is. it is a little warmer than it was yesterday. we're hoping to get above zero, hopeful in a couple of hours, but the big problem is hyperthermia, frostbite those kind of things. now we have checked with area hospitals, and they have reports of about 20-weather related injuries in the last couple of days, fewer than half of those are hypothermia and frostbite. the other injuries have been slips and falls and that sort of thing. there have been in the last day

or so, four heart attacked reported from people out shovelling snow. one of the big fears is people out on the highways. more people are returning to work today, and the roads are slicker than they were yesterday. there's a lot of black ice. so we did see some accidents yesterday, and people going into emergency rooms being treated for those kinds of injuries, so our guess is question could see more of that today. there was a stretch that was closed earlier this morning, and that has now been reopened. but people are saying you should try to avoid the highway because it is still very slick. still very cold temperatures, people should be staying indoors. flights have been canceled still. about 800 at the chicago airports. there are still transportation problems withment amtrak. trains in and out of chicago have been canceled. so stay in doors dell.

>> diane eastabrook thank you very much. dave warren polar vortex the new lexicon. >> yes. each day it will get a little warmer and warmer. the cold air just can't stay that cold when it is this far south. that cold air continues to sweep east, creating weather patterns at the surface which pick up the wind. it is not only the temperatures down in the single digits, but the wind chill. this is what it feels like on your skin. a lot of calculations would go into this, well below zero, when it gets to 20, 25, 30 below, frostbite can happen quickly, so make sure you bundle up. the lows tomorrow will not be nearly as cold, but still teens

and 20s, and when you look at numbers like these after coming from single digits it's not that bad, but it is very cold. another problem with the cold air is the lake-effect snow. this is western new york very strong wind, so this streamer of snow, very heavy snow continuing to come down in western new york. 30 inches or more with the total snow forecast, and that's for the tip of western pennsylvania but mostly western new york. the temperatures climbing back above freezing after a cold start. 39 on friday. rain in the forecast on saturday, and the rain will come from a storm developing in canada, could bring more winter weather and a shot of cold air to the plains and then sliding east across the great lakes. but at least the numbers are

going up from here not going down. dell? >> dave warren thank you very much. this is the briefing room right now in washington where we are awaiting word from the white house concerning those unemployment benefits for 1.3 million americans. the president set to speak any moment now. we're going to take a break, and we will come right back. how the colors change a little bit. it can't stay that color for long. wednesday and thursday it's over the great lakes and pushing up over new england. still 24 to 48 more hours of this bitter-cold air. 12 below minneapolis, 12 below chicago.

>> a jazeera america is the only news channel that brings you live news at the top of every hour >> here are the headlines at this hour breaking news... sports... business... weather... live news...every hour, on the hour only on al jazeera america you are looking live right now at the east room of the white house where the president is expected to address those gathered concerning the issue of the unemployment benefits. the first person who will be speaking is a person from connecticut, a young woman by the name of katherine hackett who lost her benefits. we're going to go live to libby casey right now. libby this being 2014, somehow i see this as an issue that is campaigning savo already.

>> absolutely. they are really k looking at these issues that deal with the home and the pocketbook. some of them have even been cheered on by the words of pope francis talking about helping the poor. we just saw a statement come out from the republican from alaska one of the six republicans who voted for this unemployment benefit extension, and she says there has to be compassion for those down on their luck. so some republicans are trying to walk the line. they would like to see some paid fors, for these unemployment benefits. that's why it will be a tough job to pass this, if republicans don't come up with some more paid fors.

>> libby mike viqueira is all standing by, when the last left for the holiday, we were talking about the affordable care act. we're not talking about that now, so won the political battle of the recess itself? >> it's funny because mitch mcconnell brought up the health care issue again. he offered to pass the law in exchange of pulling back on the main date for a year. we saw a bit of bipartisanship heading into the holiday, but the question is will that last or was it only skin deep. there are expected battles to come, so it was a bit of a break, a much calmer holiday recess than sometimes we see.

often it goes right to the brink of christmas. the ones working over the holiday, the politicians, strategists, but also those who are working out how to pay for everything, so we're watching for those numbers to come out this week. >> mike viqueira at the white house, the holiday recess good for congress, the white house or both? >> i think we can call it a christmas trust, dell. i don't think anybody was going out of their way to score any points unless some of those who were particularly vulnerable who are up for reelection this year. from now to the state of the union through november when the house is up for grabs, and the senate as well, and everything is going to be seen through this political prism, the president -- and we're about to

see him in the east room of the white house, he is doing a couple of things here. first there is no question he believes unemployment benefits should be extended, not only it is good for the gdp, it is said that the gdp will actually rise because people will still have money to spend, but you have to look at this through the political prism as well. the president is going to be taking a populous tack all through the year, talking about the one overriding issue that seems to be the theme in democratic -- circles now, and that is income inequality. and that is to shore up the democratic base which has been discouraged by what they have

seen over the course of the last several months, remember, as far as the political calculation is concerned coming out of the government shutdown everything was looking up for democrats, republicans poll numbers have sunk to an all-time historic low, they are still there, but the democrats are down there with them now. so the president's concern is to shore up that base. income inequality, and unemployment benefits are part and parcel of what the president is going to be trying to do through the course of this year. >> and the fact that we are not talking about the website and the affordable care act has to be good news for the white house now. >> i think that is sort of a self fulfilling prophesy.

the republicans certainly will still be talking about it. anything the white house can do to change the numbers that have been coming out -- not a day goes buy when jay carney doesn't take the podium and out to some of the benchmarks and landmarks as the white house sees it that have been reached by the affordable care act. will is no doubt that all of the confusion, all of the technological mayhem, is going to carry over into this year. there are going to be plenty of anecdotes both pro and con about the benefits of the affordable care act. that is a fight that is nowhere near being finished -- being fought. but the white house has been trying to turn the corner for quite sometime and now at least they think they are getting traction. they said the congress as a

whole without passing an issue is good for the core of many of their constituents dell. >> mike viqueira at the white house. again, we are watching the east room of the white house right now, awaiting the president to address his concerns over extended unemployment benefits. right now we'll return to libby casey. >> i don't think you can expect to see too much of that, dell, but why start the year off on a pessimistic foot. it comes down to politics, but also there are extremely strong fundamental divisions in what the parties really believe. when we heard the debate play out today and yesterday, folks like mitch mcconnell the top

republican in the senate explained why they were siding with the no votes. i wanted to play you some of the mitch mcconnell tapes so you can get a sense of what the other side has to say. >> this administration's proposed solution is to slap another band aid from washington on it and call it a day. yes, we should work on solutions to support those who are out of work through no fault of their open, but there is literally no excuse to pass this legislation without also finding ways to create good, stable, high-paying jobs and also trying to find the money to pay for it. >> so that's mitch mcconnell giving the republican perspective, dell. >> libby as you can see, those who are going to be flanking the president concerning the issue of unemployment benefits are now taking to the stage. we expect to hear from one of them in just a moment. katherine hackett of connecticut, she is one of those who have lost their benefits.

but the democrats in this the congress see this as a good election issue, do they not, libby casey? >> absolutely. and this is something the white house really wants to put a face and a name on, and they want the politicians to know too. >> libby casey thank you very much. the president of the united states, we take you now live to the east room of the white house. [ applause ] >> thank you. >> good morning. my name is katherine hackett, and i am from mudus, connecticut. i am very grateful that president obama invited me here today in response to a letter that i wrote to him about the discontinuation of federal unemployment insurance. i am unemployed. and i will be significant liv lived -- significantly affected by this decision.

i am working very hard every day to look for a position. in the interim, unemployment benefits have been absolutely essential to cover my bare necessities. i have cut expenses everywhere possible, and i am not just sitting home enjoying the good life. my cuts incloud heating my house to 58 degrees, wearing a hat and a coat to stay home because oil is expensive. i have lost weight because food is expensive. as a single mother, i worked many different jobs, and never asked for a handout, while i raised two wonderful boys. both of my sons are serving in the u.s. military. it was very hard for me to let one of my boys serve a year in afghanistan, but i did, and he was proud to serve his country. i hope our leaders in washington can find a solution to help

families like mine. at this time, it is my great honor to introduce the president of the united states, president barack obama. [ applause ] >> thank you. please, everybody, have a seat. well happy new year, everybody. hope you're keeping warm. you know, a few weeks ago i said that 2014 could be a break through year for america. think about it. five years ago, this month our economy was shedding 800,000 jobs just in one month. but as americans buckled down and worked hard and sacrificed,

we began to come back, and our businesses have created more than 8 million new jobs since we hit the bottom. our auto industry has gone from bust to boom. manufacturing is rebounding, housing market is rebounding, stock markets are restoring retirement accounts the promise of energy independence is in site. health care costs have grown at the slowest rate on record, and since i took office we have cut our deficits by more than half. so america is getting stronger, and we have made progress. and the economy is growing and we have got to do more to make sure that all americans share in that growth. we have got to help our businesses create more jobs, and make sure those jobs offer the benefits that rebuild security. in ore words we have to make sure this recovery leaves nobody

behind, and we have a lot to work to do on that front. the good news is i'm optimistic we can do it if we do it together. before the holidays both parties compromised on a budget that lifts some of the drag that has been on the economy from these indiscriminate cuts we call skeser. and as a consequence this year we may see more stability when it comes to economic growth. and i think i'm not alone in saying that we are all grateful in the new year that we won't have another partisan shutdown, hopefully going forward. [ applause ] >> so -- so that was a good sign, and we should build on that progress, but what i said should be the first order of business in 2014, and that is extending insurance for the unemployed. [ applause ]

>> the good news is this morning, the senate took a very important step in that direction. for the americans who join me at the white house today and millions like them who were laid off in the recession through no fault of their own, unemployment insurance has been a vital economic lifeline. for a lot of people, it's the only source of income they have got to support their families while they look for a new job. these aren't folks who are just sitting back waiting for things to happen. they are out there actively looking for work. they desperately want work, but although the economy has been growing, and we have been added new jobs, the truth of the matter is that the financial crisis was so devastating that there's still a lot of people who are struggling.

and in fact, if we don't provide unemployment insurance it makes it harder for them to find a job. you heard katherine's story. she is far more eloquent than i could ever be. she wrote me last month to say please let those who i think i'm sitting at home enjoying being unemployed know i would much rather be working, and i had a chance to talk to katherine, and i think it's pretty clear that that is the case. katherine went on to say i have applied to everything for which i am possibly qualified to no avail. i have worked hard all my life, paid taxes, voted in engaged in political discussion, and made the ultimate sacrifice, my two sons serve in the u.s. military. job loss is devastating, and if i could fix it i could.

i challenge any lawmaker to live without an income. that's what katherine said. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> it's hard. so when we have got the mom of two of our troops, who is working hard out there, but is having to wear a coat inside the house, we got a problem. and it's one that can be fixed. and katherine is not alone. evelyn smith who is watching today from her home in california wrote me about her hunt for a new job. since she was laid off 13 months ago, she has sent out hundreds of resumes, she has volunteered. she has done seasonal work. she has been taking online courses to learn new skills. without unemployment insurance, though, she won't be able to pay for h