six republicans voted for it, including gop cosponsor senator dean heller of nevada.ust tick through their names quickly, and i want to get you something from the house of representatives. dean heller, lisa murkowski of alaska, susan collins, dean coats, dan portman of ohio. this is john boehner, speaker of the house, he said many things off camera. "one month ago i personally told the white house another extension of unemployment benefits should not only be paid for, but include something to help put people back to work. to date the president has offered no such plan. if he does, i'll be happy to discuss it, but right now the house is going to remain focused on growing the economy and giving america's unemployed the independence of only finding a good job." clearly, there will be a fight in the house of representatives. let's talk about this a little bit. we await for the president. let's bring in our agenda panel for today, kelly goff, columnist for "the daily beast," lee fong, contributing writer for "the nation," and cheryl, i'll start with you. you were going to

. >> the proposal by republican senator dean heller and democrat jack reed extends benefits for only three months. >> will it be more partisan hsh and acrimony? >> even if it does come out of the senate -- >> the president is vowing to hold republicans' feet to the fire. >> probably dead on arrival in the house. >> all those people have to run for re-election next year. >> could this set the tone for 2014? >> the 2014 elections, now just 11 months away. >> bundle up. get used to hearing this populist message against growing inequality a lot. >> the gop doesn't get it. >> they're happy to hurt the economy under barack obama. >> and we mean a lot. >> it's cold here, chris. it's so hard to even smile. >>> the senior senator from nevada and the junior senator from nevada don't team up very often. the senators from nevada -- the senior senator from nevada is the majority leader of the democrats in the senate, and the junior senator is a conservative republican. today on the senate floor you couldn't tell them apart. >> it is difficult to stand here in the nation's capital, an area that ha

we'll hear from senator dean heller of nevada. will any of his colleagues be joining him?watching "the daily rundown." you don't want to miss that, especially my congressional reporter friends. ck. rock beats scissors! [ chuckles ] wife beats rock. and with two checks a year, everyone wins. [ female announcer ] switch today and get two safe driving bonus checks a year for driving safely. only from allstate. call 866-906-8500 now. [ dennis ] zach really loves his new camera. problem is...this isn't zach. it's a friend of a friend who was at zach's party and stole his camera. but zach's got it covered... with allstate renters insurance. [ female announcer ] protect your valuables for as low as $4 a month when you add renters insurance to your allstate auto policy. call 866-906-8500 now. what are you doing? we're switching car insurance. why? because these guys are the cheapest. why? good question. because a cut-rate price could mean cut-rate protection. you should listen to this guy. [ female announcer ] with allstate you get great protection and a great price, plus an agent

i think heller was spot on. i think the fact is they were just moving to debate.f you want to talk pay-fors and how they're going to pay for it, put it out in the open. it's now time to get back to figuring out how to solve the long term for this unemployment issue. that is creating jobs. he talked about sensible government. >> i think there's a nat political issue, that the american public believes the republicans don't understand is the problems in the middle class. it's a real issue for them. heading into 2016, a lot of republicans understand that. and this is one way, if they can find a way to pay for it, this is one way to say, you know what? we agree with you, this is a three-month extension, we want to get it off the table and move on to other things, and we do care about equality and opportunity. so a lot of republicans like marco rubio and rand paul, potentially presidential candidates -- >> but i have heard some say we need to stop funding unemployment insurance because it's a disincentive to people looking for work. i don't know that that's supported by

heller proposes an amendment numbered 2700. mr. heller: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. heller: again, mr. president, thank you. i'm here today to talk about the heller-lee amendment to the flood insurance legislation that we're currently considering. one of my core beliefs in order for americans to succeed is that regardless of the issue, we need more choices, we need higher competition, and we also need less cost. so let's talk about the nfip. right now the national federal insurance program has a near monopoly on the flood insurance market. if you asked other americans if they knew there were other flood insurance programs other than through nfip, you'd probably get a blake stare. since the passage of the national flood insurance act, when congress pass the last flood insurance reform package under biggert-waters, congress reaffirmed the intent that private primary flood insurance should satisfy requirements and those of man

i have been in conversations heller and his chief of staff. that we are e sure actively working this. [inaudible]? >> i don't know. i'm not here to predict. you that it ell should pass. think that -- i really think there were a lot of very moving stories that i'm sure a lot of here and around the country were responsible for. important they were because they didn't just go did.gh the numbers i they told the stories of real people and told stories of compelling stories. stories of -- they put the names and faces of people that clearly are people that are responsible, a d working, have fallen on tough situation for no fault of their own and are trying to get feet again.r that is who we're here to help. you open or is the white house open to further tapering he unemployment insurance progr program? you know, there is talk of phasing it reform, out. >> i think i put that in the , put forward, id which is we have an urgent 1.3 ation on our hands with million americans finding their benefits cut off. bipartisan three months plan passed and that will

you and senator heller made this a bipartisan vote. it was very good news to see 60 votes to move forward. it's good not just for the 1.3 million families who will benefit, but it's also going to be good for the economy of the united states. the congressional budget office and numerous economists, including mark zandi, have indicated this is one of the best things we have can do to help keep the money in the economy, keep it stimulated. it's a good way to spend public dollars to encourage private sector response. this is good for families, but it's also going to be good for our economy as we know that people who get unemployment insurance are going to spend those dollars. they are not going to put them in the bank. as senator reed said, how do we create jobs? this is one of the challenges we have. making sure that people can still go out and look for work, those dollars can be used to buy gasoline, pay for groceries, pay people's rent is important because it keeps a lot of other people working in the economy. it's very good news. serio

this bipartisan bill cosponsored by jack reid and republican senator dean heller.hat. and if you read one thing this morning, read the take in "the new yorker," which starts with the brilliant line, "the so-called polar vortex caused hundreds of injuries across the midwest today, as people who said so much for global warming and similar comments were punched in the face." it's up on our facebook page. you guys are already -- that was funny. you guys are talking about it. david wrote this, it's global weirdness, people, and it is now. i think it's winter. let us know what you think. head to facebook/jansingco. i mean, look at it. so indulgent. did i tell you i am on the... [ both ] chicken pot pie diet! me too! [ male announcer ] so indulgent, you'll never believe they're light. 100-calorie progresso light soups. we still run into problems. that's why liberty mutual insurance offers accident forgiveness if you qualify, and new car replacement, standard with our auto policies. so call liberty mutual at... today. and if you switch, you could save up to $423. liberty m

read and heller were putting their proposal forward.resident, from his vacation, call both senators and asked how he could help. the it ministration has been out there continually. we doy have noted that not always have 100% control over the u.s. congress. but i think the record is pretty clear that the president and his white house and secretary of labor have aggressively been pushing for this, both in december, in the break, and as quickly as possible as we have returned. >> thank you very much. >> is the last time we are going to hear from you in this role or with this administration from this podium? >> i don't know when jay is asking me back. here for allly be of january and probably quite a lot of february as well. >> [inaudible] [laughter] and i were talking yesterday and i'm quite confident that when march comes, i will be somewhere else. >> matt has to one broad question? >> yes. >> a lot of stories on the 50th anniversary. these policies have been building for a long time, decades. you are talking about his torque levels of lo

you and senator heller made this a bipartisan vote. it was very good news to see 60 votes to move forward. it's good not just for the 1.3 million families who will benefit, but it's also going to be good for the economy of the united states. the congressional budget office and numerous economists, including mark zandi, have indicated this is one of the best things we have can do to help keep the money in the economy, keep it stimulated. it's a good way to spend public dollars to encourage private sector response. this is good for families, but it's also going to be good for our economy as we know that people who get unemployment insurance are going to spend those dollars. they are not going to put them in the bank. as senator reed said, how do we create jobs? this is one of the challenges we have. making sure that people can still go out and look for work, those dollars can be used to buy gasoline, pay for groceries, pay people's rent is important because it keeps a lot of other people working in the economy. it's very good news. serio

senator heller understands this. i am troubled that most of senator heller's republican colleagues, according to what we're hearing in the press, callously turn their backs on the long-term unemployed. so, mr. president, i am just saying i hope that we can get them to move over and help us to help these people who just need it so very, very much. failing to restore emergency assistance would not only be a crushing blow to long-term unemployed, it would be a blow to our economy. americans use their unemployment benefits to buy food and fuel at gas stations, to pay the landlord or to purchase a child a coat. that's why every dollar we spend on unemployment benefits -- i repeat -- the economy grows by $1.50. this investment on our fellow americans is one of the most effective ways to spark and sustain an economic recovery. last night the senior senator from texas, a republican, asked why -- asked that we delay this vote on legislation today. i was glad to do that. he called this a serious issue, and he is so right. the

heller. mr. heller: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from nevada. mr. heller: thank you, madam president. let me be clear that my amendment simply confirms existing law. i'm trying to provide some clarity that private flood insurance can be a viable option for homeowners and businesses. private insurers are already subject to regulations in each and every state by their commissioners, insurance commissioners, and that's insurance commissioners are the best regulators for ensuring proper consumer protection. so, madam president, i ask my colleagues to support the heller-lee amendment so that we can provide the american public more competition, higher quality at less cost when it comes to flood insurance. thank you, madam president. mr. menendez: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: the senate not in order. the presiding officer: the senator is critic. will senators remove their conversations from the chamber. the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: madam president, i have to oppose the heller amendment. th

you and senator heller made this a bipartisan vote. it was good news to see the 60 votes to go ahead and move forward to the bill. the 1.3od not just for million families who will benefit, but it's also going to be good for the economy of the united states. officegressional budget and numerous economists have indicated this is one of the helpthings we can do to keep money in the economy, keep it stimulated. it is a good way to spend public dollars to encourage private sector response. this is good for families but it's also going to be good for our economy as we know people who get unemployment insurance will spend those dollars and not put them in the bank. as senator reed said, as we think about how to create jobs, this is one of the challenges we have. making sure people can still go on and look for work and that those dollars can be used to buy gasoline, to pay for groceries, to pay people's rent area it is important because it keeps a lot of other people working in the economy. nows very good news area serious negotiations have to

dean heller is one republican who said he's for this.luke listed, other members who may vote for this, not that maine has high unemployment but that susan collins is one of the more moderate republicans. that's where this the extension is going to come from. moderate republicans in the senate and some talk in the house if there are $6 billion of offsets, you might see a vote where a combination of republicans and democrats pass these benefits. not likely but possible. less about where unemployment is highest and more about how bad republicans think this vote will be if they block unemployment benefits from being extended. >> perry, that gets the question i was going to ask. i believe senator rand paul had a proposal of sure, let's extend unemployment benefits but they have to be paid for but without saying how they would be paid for. so can you give us an idea of what these offsets might be that would make it possible for republicans to vote in favor of extending unemployment benefits? >> i can't, jonathan, for a reason. there's a bit of

senator heller's participation has been critical. listening to constituents and understanding that this is not a place people want to be. $300 a week in unemployment compensation is not having a good job as many of them had earning a decent wage and providing for their families. i think the combination is helping us gain momentum. i hope we succeed tonight. if we don't, we'll try again. this is critical. it's critical to the economy too. cbo has estimated that we will lose 200,000 jobs if we don't extend these benefits because this money goes directly from the recipient into the local grocery store and gas station, buying heat at this time of year. without that, we're going to lose 200,000 jobs at a time we need them. >> at the same time, this is also a political issue is the calculation from the white house at least that you're better having the political issue against republicans. club for growth called for a no vote among other republican votes. >> i think this is about helping people who have worked hard. what i'm finding out is

one of them is senator heller. he sounded a heck of a lot more like a democrat than a republican when asked about unemployment. >> don't get me wrong, i think this thing ought to be paid for. i'm going to support this legislation anyway, because i think it is the right thing to do. go home and talk to some of these people that need this unemployment insurance. these are people actively looking for a job. let's make sure they can stay in their homes and put food on their table for their children. >> did i hear that right? that's some coaching for you right there. the senator from nevada said he would encourage his colleagues to get out of the beltway and go home and listen to some of the constituents because they are hard working americans. gosh, he sounded like a democrat. he's not. he's a conservative that knows what's at stake. three senators said they want to cut some stuff to offset the cost of all it. they need to take a page of senator heller's playbook and cut to the chase. it'll be interesting to see if the

senator heller? for.is bill is unpaid he was the first republican to get on board on a three-month .xtension the unemployment rate in nevada is still very high. to get through the senate and the house, speaker boehner has said that it needs to be paid for. bey are probably going to entering into negotiations over what kind of cuts to make elsewhere that would pay for this bill. the democrats want to extend it for a full year. the three-month extension was meant to buy time. stays in thef it window or if they try to broaden it out. >> is it possible this bill could be attached to something bigger? >> it is possible. in the past, unemployment insurance extensions have been attached to other bills. they are working to finish up the farm bill. there has been some talk of using the savings from the farm for the unemployment benefits. that money matches up pretty well. that is a possibility. the other bill that you mentioned is a vehicle that will move forward is in the next few weeks is the omni bus spend

well what we've done, senator heller and i said, listen, we need to help these people now. let's do a 90-day extension. provide some retroactive relief and keep these 1.3 million, and it will grow, it will be several million more people will lose their benefits this year. let's do it, let's sit down to work on the program. let me also remind my colleagues, we have made significant changes to the unemployment insurance program. in early 2012 we had a conference report between the house and senate that made changes in unemployment insurance. we reduced total time from 99 weeks, to 73 weeks. we created the work-sharing program. very innovative program for a lot of people to collect part of the week but stay employed the rest of the week. it is a program that helped companies across the country, small companies particularly. we have given states more flexibility on job training. we have given states more flexibility in oversight of their programs. we have made changes. we're willing to listen to thoughtful proposals again, but we can't do it on the backs of 1.3 million a americ

republican dean heller of nevada. yesterday passed a key procedural hurdle. an amendment and votes are possible throughout the day. live senate coverage now here on c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. gracious and changeless god, the creator of heavenly lights, your mercies sustain us. today, use our senators to accomplish your will, making them faithful under trials and resolute when facing the difficult. lord, even in sorrowing seasons, motivate them to be transformed by your liberating grace. empower them to do the best that they are capable of, bringing a harvest of courage, compassion, and service. give them the wisdom to place their ultimate trust in you. we pray in your holy name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presidi

let's get this bill done as senator heller and i have proposed it. let's get it done and then we've got another huge challenge because we want, frankly, and i think it's the cents iment across the board, if we're going to do it, let's continue it through the year 2014. we're beginning to sense some economic positive shifts, we hope those materialize, we hope they come forward to the point where the unemployment rate, it's fallen, i heard the president today when he took over we were losing 800,000 jobs a month, it was rocketing up into the stratosphere, 12%, 14, in rhode island it's still 9% but we've seen some progress. not enough in my case, in my state and nevada and other states but we've seen progress. and we hope that progress continues. and indeed one of the other aspects of this program, if we pass these benefits and the economists will point out particularly pass them on an emergency basis, it will add more fuel to our economy, not less. it will add more demand, it will, in fact, increase growth at the time where everyone is on the floor tal

it's dean heller of nevada. right now, he's the lone republican cosponsor of legislation that the senate is going to vote on on monday to try to fix this problem for at least another three months, to put off this face punch for another three months. if just a handful of republicans joined with dean heller in the senate, then the unemployment extension would likely pass in the senate. that would have to go to the house and today, the number two house republican, eric cantor, he put out the house republican agenda for the next month, the list of this things he says might come to the house floor and extending benefits is not even on the might list. democrats don't appear to be giving up. president obama will meet with people who have lost their unemployment benefits and if the senate vote to extend fails on monday, they seem to be prepared to make republicans vote against those benefits over and over and over again, all of this designed to pressure republicans into changing their mind. what are the odds of that hap

>> i think that there are five republicans, dean heller plus four republicans, remember dean heller is not some maverick that is out spewing socialism, he was a guy who is really a conservative person and he wants to extend unemployment benefits. i admire him. can't we get four republicans to agree with the american people that we should do that? i would certainly hope so. >> schieffer: you're saying that that's still very much there because you can't get -- >> i'm saying holefully we can get four more republicans, gee, whiz. i mean that's something we never stopped -- >> schieffer: getting back to the budget agreement we talk about that you all made in december. you have just two weeks to get those funds appropriated and allocated to get the whole package through congress again. do you think that that's going to happen? >> bob, the answer is, yes. let me just say this as a cautionary -- >> schieffer: if you don't raise the debt ceiling -- >> cautionary note. what was done was historic, it's wonderful that these two people on opposite sides of the political spectrum got together and di

heller: thank you madam president. i rise today to discuss an issue that has been in the forefront of many americans' minds ringing in the new year, and that is extending benefits for the unemployed. something that's important, of course for a lot of americans. before i begin i want to thank my colleague from rhode island, senator jack reed for his hard work and effort on this behalf as we work together, our staffs have worked together to get this proposal moved forward for today's vote. and i hope that my friends and colleagues here in the senate enjoyed their holidays and that everyone returned refreshed and ready to tackle some of the tough issues we have here in 2014. unfortunately, while congress was in recess approximately 17,000 nevadans greeted the new year not with the optimistic expectations of a fresh start but with the anxiety about how they're going to feed their families or perhaps even pay the utility bills. when congress left washington, d.c. in december, a lot of important matters were left undone and

heller had the votes to get to that 60 vote threshold to consider debate. do you know differently? >> my role is not as a vote counter here but i can give you a sense of history. which is that congress has always on a bipartisan basis supported emergency unemployment compensation. when president bush was in office, five times, the bill was passed. no strings attached. any of those times. and so i'm confident and hopeful that this will pass. and if it doesn't, it is not simply affects the 1.3 million people who are no longer have their benefits and their families. but it also has a negative impact on the economy. there have been a number of studies that have shown that somewhere between 2 and 300,000 jobs would be lost because when people have less money in their pockets, they spend less. companies hire less because they're selling less. and the economy contracts. that's an unnecessary situation. it can be avoided. and it can be avoided simply by extending emergency unemployment compensation for three months. and hopefully during that time a longer-term agreement can be worked out.

heller and second in the case called mcdonald v. chicago, the u.s. supreme court upheld what i've been arguing and lots of people have been arguing for the last 20 years that the second amendment actually does guarantee an individual right to arms. and so the first case, 2008, was out of chicago -- sorry, was out of washington d.c. the lead plaintiff initially, the case was initially denominated parker v. district of columbia. shelley parker, black woman, community activist, who was laboring under what was really the most draconian, most stringent gun control measure in the country, washington, d.c. said handguns are banned, other sorts of guns were grandfathered, you really cannot have a gun for self-defense because even if you have one, you have got to keep it in your house disassembled, so no practical armed self-defense in washington d.c. shelley parker represented by lawyers who were also instrumental in the mcdonald case, shelley parker argued i am under siege. i am this -- i'm an act visits who's been threatened -- activist who's been threaten

i have said, and i certainly congratulate senator heller in bringing fight people within. that's important for america. even as our economy continues to show signs of improvement, there's still only one job opening for every three people out of work. in nevada, not extending unemployment benefits cut almost 20,000 people from the rolls. these nevadans, and more than a million americans, who have lost a way to survive is extremely difficult. this insurance is a lifeline for them. i don't think anyone would consider about $300 a week much of a lifeline, but that's the average. but it certainly i is $300 a wek better than nothing. these are long-term unemployed. my colleagues say they want to pay for this bill. this is new for them. all five times president bush signed extended unemployment benefits wasn't paid for. so i say to my republican colleagues, this is a three month extension. let's pass this bill so that our fellow americans, more than a million of them, don't have to suffer and can keep -- and then we can then talk about the long-term plan. it's the right thing to

according to the current tally, only one republican is a full yes on this bill and that's heller who cosponsored it. we're going to get into the politics of all that in a moment, but first let's get a report from luke russert in washington. >> basically you're seeing where the democratic party is trying to start an offense on day one of the second session of the 113th congress. the name of the game for them this year will be income inequality. the president is going to push that in the state of the union address. a lot of democrats would like to see this pass. i've spoken to them privately. they said, if it goes down, that gives us more ammunition to go after the gop for being so heartless. republicans see this as an issue of debt and deficit. interestingly, what is lost is a lot of the money that goes to in a minute insurance it is not stored. it goes to things like milk, gas, groceries. it's pumped back into the economy. that's not been talked about as much. >> even if this were to get the 60 votes in the senate, it faces an uphill battle in the house. the republican congress says

supreme court in the case call heller district of columbia verses heller, the case, mcdonnell versushicago, the u.s. supreme court upheld what i have been arguing in lots of people of been arguing, that the second amendment actually does guarantee in individual rights and arms. and so the first case, 2008 was out of washington d.c. the lead plaintiff, community activist who was laboring under what was really the most draconian -- most stringent gun-control measure in the country. handguns are banned. other sorts of guns were grandfathered. you really cannot have a gun for self-defense begins even if you have when you have to keep it in your house disassembled. no practical of self-defense in washington d.c. .. press to the united states cream court and the court at once the case is now called tyler versus the district of columbia versus keller. there isn't that an individual right to arms, to keep and bear arms and the constitution means that the delimitation we are seeking out. thinking habits are been through similar thing happened two years later in chicago. chicago is the case, a

remember heller, joseph heller? >> absolutely, remember it well. bill, your point is well taken. also do it by borrowing more money. >> oh, my god. are we really going to borrow more money? >> this is why this issue is not exactly the silver bullet. it has -- there's downsides to these things, and the mere presence of them is issues on democratic tongues is confession of failure by the president and his party. >> but that's a pretty sophisticated analysis from a guy that wears a pocket hanky, you think the folks are going to get that? hey, i'm going to get more money if i vote for this guy. >> if you're out of work still after four and a half years under obama, you may recognize that, bill. that's not something that goes unnoticed. >> no, i know, but it's a matter of, look, do i want more money, or do i want to blame the president and try to get the system changed, and i think they are going to go for i want more money. i could be wrong. >> maybe so, but at the same time some of these people are going to be feeling the effects of the health care law, which have been largely negat

nevada senator dean heller is a republican who supports exteing unemployment benefits for three months. he notes the jobless rate in his home state tops the charts nationwide. majority leader harry reid, also from nevada, is pushing for more republican support and says it's not necessary to pay for it. >> we have never offset emergency spending. it's foolishness. we have people that are desperate. they've been out of work for some as much as two years. we have reduced the debt by $3 trillion. let's start helping the middle class. >> let's take a live look at the senate floor, where they are just gaveling back into session after the holiday break. some argue against extending unemployment benefits because this is technically the 55th month of the economic recovery. they argue the emergency is over. others want to see job training programs included in my unemployment benefit extension to get people back to work. >> i'm not against having unemployment insurance. i do think, though, that the longer you have it, that it does provide some disincentive to work and there are many studies that

benefits, it's a very tough decision to defend especially when republicans around america support what heller and read are trying to do. the democrats supported, independents but republicans in congress don't. and they have said so. republicans complained that the majority never allows the minority to offer amendments is mr. president falls. it's not true. it's another diversion. during my tenure as majority leader there have been volumes of stuff written about the obstruction we had with my republican colleagues during the last five years with you obama administration. think of the obstruction that place when barack obama decided to run for re-election. that was interesting because the republican leader said his number one goal as a united states senator and the leader of the republicans is to make sure he wasn't reelected. he fell real short on that because he was elected overwhelmingly. during that period of time obstruction, obstruction, obstruction, obstruction. after he was reelected it continued. during my tenure as majority leader the senate's has voted on minority amendments at a hig

. >> nevada senator dean heller is the republican co-sponsor of the measure with the jobless rate in his home state consistently above the national average. >> it is the right thing to do. that short period will help these families who benefit s expired abruptly while congress works out a long term solution that provides americans with some certainty and is fiscally responsible. >> benefits ran out for millions after christmas, and the white house said it's now an emergency. this is the 55th month of the economic recovery, and it may be time to scale back. >> think, though, the longer you have it, it does provide some disincentive to work and there are many studies that indicate this. what i have been saying all along, we have to figure out how to create jobs and keep people from being long-term unemployed. >> chuck schumer blasted that argument. >> it's a bit insulting to american workers when rand paul says that unemployment insurance is a disservice. they want to work. they don't want unemployment benefits. >> in an op-ed on foxnews.com. peter mauricy rote, some of the extended un

. >> in typical new york fashion, the ball drop over to a chilly but love the time score heller -- heralded the start of a new year with confetti and unmistakable voice of frank sinatra adding to the party atmosphere. ♪ >> further south in brazil, more than one million revelers packed the copacabana beach to watch fireworks light up the day. inls of big been brought 2014 for londoners with the help of fireworks, pop concerts, and crowds on the banks of the river thames. explosive display was a multisensory show with peach flavored snow, edible banana confetti and orange scented bubbles. and france, a slightly lower voltage affair. more champagne and embraces them. fireworks in paris. , inite the fireworks moscow, the new year celebrations were low-key and russia. festivities have been oversight -- overshadowed by two suicide bombings in volgograd. some just want the basics of the year to come. >> i wish everybody busier to be lucky, happy, and peaceful. no wars him and no conflicts. and no catastrophes. >> dubai is thought to have broken the record with what may have been the largest firewo

and dean heller who cou-sponsord the bill. before the senate vote, minority leader mitch mcconnell tried to hold unemployment assistance hostage to a one year delay of the individual mandate. as with all things related to congressional rpz, things remain hilariously and irresponsibly unpredictable. another vote must take place before a final vote on the bill which is possibly later this week. then the legislation will travel down the rabbit hole to the lower chamber where speaker boehner said it will face resistance. in a statement he said one month ago i personally told the white house that another extension of temporary emergency unemployment benefits should not only be paid for but include something to help put people back to work. to date the president offered no such plan. if he does i'll be happy to discuss it. right now the house will remain focused on growing the economy and giving the unemployed the independence that only comes from finding a good job. joining any now is squawk box co-host andrew roth sworken. why one

one republican, dean heller of nevada is supporting. his state has been hit hard by unemployment.ther republicans say that this is time to let these benefits go. they were started during the recession, and say the crisis is over. some republicans are concerned how it will be paid for. how will it be funded. republican, jeff sessions says the real way to help the unemployed is to bring down government spending. >> this nation is struggling economically for a number of reasons. one of them clearly is the size of our debt. we have got to get our spending under control. we have to do that. we cannot continue every time we have a desire to do something good, to borrow the money. >> despite the vote on reinstating long-term unemployment benefits the senn sit voted on confirming janet yellen, the first woman to chair the federal reserve. she passed by 56 votes and needed a simple majority. this is a small margin, she has the least yes votes of any federal reserve chairman in history. federal reserve watchers say it's due to the politics in capitol hill, lesson that what politicians think

the best of all worlds, would have been done as part of the budget agreement. >> suppose the dean heller that's a three-month extension. what about the prospects in the house? are you negotiating with john boehner and others to see whether it can also make its way through the house? >> well, you know, first of all, the president very much compliments senator leader reid for putting it up for vote on the first day back on monday. we heard from the house republican speaker was, you know, what is your plan? and we said we have a plan. let's extend this for 2014 and at the existing levels and they clearly weren't satisfied with that plan. now there is a bipartisan plan in the senate and it is a three-month solution. i does not take care of all of 2014. now we have that solution and i think that our view is let's pass that. we have something in front of us if we move quickly and we can prevent a lot of hardship. we can prevent a lot of these families from going through a gap. people are not getting rich on this. you know that. this is maybe -- $200 $300 a week. this is the base of support peo

dean heller, who is a republican, is co-sponsor. he's a yes. but we don't yet have a real sense of the picture. if it doesn't go forward today or if it goes forward and fails, democrats say they will try again quickly to sort of get public momentum to resolve this. it's likely to pass the senate. the house is a whole other matter. the issue is do you find the money by making other cuts? is it the right policy? those are some of the issues that will be debated. >> and what about the confirmation of janet yellen as fed chair. explain where the temperature sis on that one. >> that should go forward in light of changes that have made it easier to get confirmations through. i'm told by talking to a bunch of people here that at 5:30 that vote is scheduled if everything goes forward given the weather issues and she's likely to be confirmed without much of a problem at all. there have been some who have opposed her but this kind of nomination is likely to get passed and it's the type of nomination where republicans can even find some support in giving

and that is dean heller. he is from the state of nevada where the unemployment rate is 2 points higher than the rest of the nation. are other republicans going to jump on board? >> no, i don't think you will see a fill buster today from the republican side. this is just a temporary thing. democrats are going to come back and want a longer extension in a couple months. we are five years in the economic recovery and they are fighting for longer unemployment benefits. this is going to be a fight all through 2014 because democrats believe it could be a winner in the mid-term election. >> does concern over the economy trump anger over health care? >> that is the key question. what you are going to see with the anniversary of the war on poverty is you are to say a push on raising benefits for people looking for a job. these are not going to pass. they are going to be a platform to try to distract from obamacare. the issues do poll well put this is a year in which a huge transition is taking place with health care a

what this bipartisan bill in the senate from senator heller and senator reid does is just that. let's pass this now so that people like kathryn hackette who have lost this lifeline can get that. and then let's talk about a long-term fix so people don't have to legislate month-to-month. >> mr. secretary, is the president rejecting any offset, any cuts elsewhere to pay for this? >> the president, as he has said, looks forward to trying to find shuolutions that work for everybody. at the same time, again, there's been a long and proud bipartisan history, including, again, five times under president bush, 14 out of the last 17 times, it's been extended. there have been no strings attached. and that's why, you know, the example of the medicare doc fix, where there was a three-month temporary extension while they work out a long-term fix, is -- seems like the right way to go. >> mr. secretary, i raise the question, because senator chuck schumer just said he wants a clean bill, as you do, as well. but if that's impossible to get through the house of representatives where there's a repu

this afternoon, senators will hold a procedural vote on a proposal by dean heller and democrat jack reid that would offer a temporary extension of jobless benefits, but republicans are signaling that they won't back it without spending cuts, setting up another potential showdown. >> not opposed to unemployment insurance, i am opposed to having it without paying for it. i think it's wrong to borrow money from china. >> this is typical for republican members of congress. not republicans, but republican members of congress. the vast majority of the american people believe that unemployment benefits should be extended. never have we ever considered not extending them. >> joining me now, democratic congressman peter welch from vermont. as we dig deeper into the republican compromise of reid and heller, it does propose a $6.5 billion price tag and it's unclear if it's going to get the 60 votes needed to pass the procedural hurdle, but as "the washington post's" ed o'keefe notes, house republican leaders have expressed no interest because the senate proposal lacks a pay for. so, as we were just

senators, a democrat from rhode island, senator reid, and a conservative republican from nevada, senator heller, and despite their differences, they worked on a plan to extent the benefits at least for three months while we figure out a longer-term solution. and a bipartisan group of senators allowed this to move forward in the process. the senate is a complicated case, so just because they agreed on this vote, all they have agreed to so far is that we agreed to have a vote on it, they haven't actually passed it. so we need to get this through without obstruction or delay, and we need the house to vote for it as well. [ applause ] >> and that's -- that's the bottom line. voting for unemployment insurance help people and creates jobs, and voting against it does not. congress should pass this bipartisan plan right away, and i will sign it right away, and more than 1 million americans across the country will feel a little hope right away. and hope is contagious. [ applause ] >>, you know, when -- when katherine has a little bit more confidence about her situation, when she finds a job she is going

only one republican has come out for this, dean heller from nevada, a state with high unemployment, and will senators from high unemployment states be pushing this as well? benefits expire on decembe december 28th, president obama pushed this in his weekend address, and we saw it fought out on sunday talk shows. chuck schumer of new york and rand paul of kentucky were on abc this week. >> i'm not against having unemployment insurance but i think it does provide some disincentive to work and there are studies to indicate this. we have to figure out how to create jobs. >> i think it's a little insulting, a bit insulting to american workers when rand paul says that unemployment insurance is a disservice. they want to work. they don't want unemployment benefits. they're just hanging on with unemployment benefits. >> reporter: one key part of unemployment benefits is people have to be looking for a job. that is a requirement. if this is not reinstated they'll still get to the six months that the state and federal government work together to provide but not that much longer package. >> what e

>> not in the senate where heller and reid, a republican and democrat respectively put forward a planeader harry reid says will get a vote when they come back. if it does pass the senate, it's anybody's guess if it will pass the house. the republicans argue this is a program that was put forward during the economic recession and perhaps we don't need it anymore. this is a $300 monthly check for americans that need it most. >> the president supporting getting it back online. the president will be back from vacation soon. what is likely to be top of his agenda for the new year? >> i think it's something we are going to hear a lot about in addition to the unemployment benefits. former secretary of state, hillary clinton, tweeted out an endorsement to get the plan back. socioeconomic inequality. he's going to highlight a lot of socioeconomic issues and the disparity in our country. particularly with the winter. the winter olympics and political theater around that. it's a midterm year. a lot brewing for the president on his agenda as congress gets back in session next week. >> i want to m

efforts, senator heller and senator collins; extraordinarily thoughtful members who are committed as i am to helping their constituents and doing it in a wise and prudent way. and with that, mr. chairman, let me just recognize the chairwoman who has come to the floor and say personally thank you, madam chairwoman for an extraordinary bit of work. not surprisingly coming from a giant like yourself. thank you. and with that, mr. chairman, i would yield the floor. ms. mikulski: the senator from rhode island, for his comments and appreciate them. they were well said. but the compliment should be reversed. this is a committee effort, and on a -- what i'm so excited about this bill is that it's bipartisan, bicameral. it was agreed upon in the house by an overwhelming vote of 359-67. and i look forward to this same type of vote here, but we did it because we listened to each other, we functioned with maximum respect and saw where we could compromise without capitulating on principle. mr. president, i know that other senators will be coming shortly, and i ask -- i yield the floor and note th