Senator Marco Rubio, though he voted against cloture on the Senate’s bill to extend unemployment benefits this week, says he believes they should be — as long as the expansion is paid for, which the Senate’s version is not. He also argued that the unemployment-insurance system ought to be reformed, though he admitted that may not be feasible as part of this legislative effort.


Republican House leadership hasn’t indicated that it will take up the Senate’s bill, once it’s finally approved this week, or that it is considering proposing reforms to the program.