About two million Americans have seen their benefits run out since the legislation stalled at the end of May. The difficulty that Democrats had in moving ahead with what has traditionally been a popular vote has forced the leadership to scale back expectations for what it can yet accomplish this year given the requirement to produce at least 60 votes in the Senate on every bill.

Before breaking for the August recess, Congressional leaders now hope to wrap up the unemployment aid, another bill to provide loans and incentives to help small businesses, and an overdue measure to provide money for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senate Democrats also intend to confirm Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court after her nomination cleared the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

But many lawmakers say they believe the main legislative action of the first half of President Obama’s term is approaching an end. Though Senator Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat and majority leader, also hopes to debate an energy measure, he acknowledged on Tuesday that his plans for the bill were in flux even as others said there was not enough time to take a serious run at a comprehensive energy proposal.

“We’re going to make a decision in the near future,” Mr. Reid said. “We’re not really at a point where I can determine what I think is best for the caucus and the country at this stage.”

To most Democrats, the added unemployment pay was a priority, given the persistently bad employment outlook back home. Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, accused Republicans of a “shameful effort” to hold up the unemployment aid, bristling at suggestions by some Republicans and their conservative allies that the stream of jobless money was keeping people from seeking jobs.

“There’s one job for five to eight people out there and to say somehow by giving them $15,000 a year, $300 a week, this is going to keep them from going to work,” Mr. Harkin said. “Preposterous. Absolutely preposterous.”

Republicans said their position was being mischaracterized by Democrats, who they said were forced to extending unemployment pay because their efforts at job creation had failed.