Mr. Reed noted that Congress has always extended jobless benefits in times of high unemployment.

“We have always done it on an emergency basis because it truly is an emergency,” he said. “We have always determined that it was necessary to get the money to the people who could use it, who needed it desperately, and we should do that again.”

Moments later, when Mr. Reed asked for the Senate’s unanimous agreement to consider his bill, Mr. Brown was waiting. “I object,” Mr. Brown said. “And I have a pay-for alternative on which I would like to speak.”

Mr. Brown proposed that money previously appropriated but not yet spent be redirected for the jobless aid. “The recent job numbers in Massachusetts reflect over 280,000 people unemployed in my state alone — over 8 percent of the Massachusetts work force. As the senator from Rhode Island mentioned — and I know Rhode Island well; I eat in Federal Hill regularly — the unemployment is much higher there.”

Mr. Brown noted that within just six and a half hours benefits would start to run out. “I don’t want this to happen,” he said. “If we fail to act today, 60,000 Bay Staters will see their unemployment checks evaporate at the end of the week.”

Mr. Brown then asked unanimous consent for the Senate to take up his proposal. Mr. Reed, however, was waiting. “I object,” he said.

DAVID HERSZENHORN

Lessons in Making Do With Less and Less

ORLANDO, Fla. — People used to living on little learn a lot of tricks to get by.

How long to ignore the notices before the power really gets shut off, for example. Or how many days past the freshness date stamped on a package of bologna is one day too many.