Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has already expressed some interest in extending unemployment insurance through 2010. Now it appears that Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is thinking along the same lines.

In a news conference today, the House majority leader said now that his chamber has passed its own version of heath care reform, they will move onto a "jobs-creation" package. And another unemployment benefits extension is certainly in the mix, according to CongressDaily (subscription required):

Still, Hoyer said the measure would focus on public jobs, job-creation tax credits, infrastructure projects and assistance to state governments.

"There are a lot of options available," said Hoyer. "We're discussing with economic advisers as to what is the most effective, and frankly there are differences of opinion on that." He said the legislation ought to address another extension of unemployment insurance and adjustments to the health-insurance program that provides coverage to those who recently lost their jobs.

Aside from the benefit extension, it's good to see that state aid and funding for infrastructure projects are high on the priority list of House leaders. These are two areas that got shorted in the Obama administration's first stimulus package that Illinois desperately needs help with. In a joint statement today, a bevy of progressive organizations -- the Economic Policy Institute, the AFL-CIO, Center for Community Change, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, NAACP, and National Council of La Raza -- called on Congress to pass a bill along these lines. "If we act swiftly and decisively," they write, "we can create millions of jobs and provide urgently needed relief to American families."

When can we expect movement on this front? Hopefully, before Christmas. The Washington Post has more:

Tuesday that House leaders have asked key committee chairmen to offer up proposals that would be compiled into a single larger piece of legislation, with a goal of bringing something to a House vote before Dec. 18, when the House hopes to adjourn for the year.

Because the Senate would have to pass its own bill, this deadline wouldn't solve the end-of-the-year filing snafu that prevents anyone from collecting the full extension of unemployment insurance recently approved by Congress. But it would provide a lifeline to the millions of Americans scheduled to exhaust their benefits in 2010.