Jobs Bill Defeated in Senate

A $120 billion jobs bill could not muster the votes to avoid a filibuster in the US Senate late Thursday. The bill included an extension of unemployment benefits and a $24 billion state aid package that would have prevented up to 300,000 layoffs. Most of the jobs that would have been saved belong to public school teachers and employees, who have faced layoffs nationwide as local school districts try to cope with drastically reduced state funding.

The jobs bill, which began as a $200 billion measure, was slashed to $120 billion in the hopes of gaining support from Republicans and conservative Democrats.