Republicans in the Senate have consistently said that they do not intend to defeat an unemployment extension this fall. Instead, they just want the Democratic leadership to consider some amendments they've drafted about the bills' funding mechanism. But if really want to provide more assistance to the nation's jobless, they don't seem urgent to get it done.

In an interview with the New York Times' Carl Huse today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said that his caucus is "getting ready to clear the way" for H.R. 3548, but he offered no exact details about when that might occur. Same goes for Sen. Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire), the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who told the AP that procedural differences will be ironed out soon without providing any specific timeline.

With thousands exhausting their benefits daily, Sen. Dick Durbin continues to insist that action needs to be taken quickly. On WLS' Connected to Chicago with Bill Cameron yesterday, the Majority Whip explained why the extra insurance is so crucial in this economic climate (You can listen to the entire interview here):

Internal mp3

Looking for a way to get involved? A reader passed along this petition he created in support of the legislation. Follow the link above to sign it.