Scott Brown, along with George Voinovich (not pictured) are likely targets for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's quest to score the remaining votes for an unemployment benefits package. Reid still short on unemployment vote

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Wednesday he is still short on votes needed to break a Republican filibuster on a slimmed-down version of an unemployment benefits package.

Reid intends to call a vote Thursday evening on the smaller benefits bill — now paired with a homebuyer's credit provision that may help garner more support. But the majority leader conceded he might not be able to clear the bill before the July recess. A more comprehensive tax extenders and unemployment benefits bill failed to pass the procedural block on three consecutive tries.


"I've only had commitments from two senators — two Republican senators — so with Sen. [Robert] Byrd not being here, it's not enough. So I know those commitments are good, and if we don't have another responsible Republican to help these people who are so desperate for help, then they'll have to wait 10 days until we get back," Reid said.

The two GOP senators supporting the measure are Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, their offices confirmed to POLITICO.

But with Byrd's vacancy and Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska telling reporters he will not support the bill, Reid will need to flip the votes of two more Republicans. Sens. Scott Brown of Massachusetts and George Voinovich of Ohio, who both have voted with the Democrats on emergency extensions this year, are likely targets.

A Snowe spokesman added that the Republican is "thrilled" the Senate will be voting on the unemployment provisions, as she has been urging Reid to separate the unemployment benefits from the larger bill since it first failed cloture more than three weeks ago.

Nelson, who broke with his party to block the last version of a UI bill from moving forward, told reporters Wednesday afternoon he has not changed his position on the issue and is demanding that the costs of unemployment benefits not add to the deficit.

"Nothing's changed. The vote will be the same," the Nebraska Democrat said. "If it's not paid for, I won't support it."

Without an extension of the pending benefits, unemployment payments would continue to be phased out for more than 200,000 people per week. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis added that more than 1 million people have already lost benefits.