WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is moving toward approving a major economic relief bill that extends benefits to the jobless and expands a first-time home buyer tax credit.
The legislation to give those exhausting their unemployment benefits up to 20 weeks of additional federal aid cleared a procedural hurdle Monday, setting up a vote to pass the bill later in the week.
The measure also extends and expands the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, which is set to expire at the end of this month, through next June and provides tax relief to companies that have been running in the red.
The vote also effectively prevents Republicans from trying to amend the bill, particularly with a proposal to terminate the financial rescue plan known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.
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