WASHINGTON (KGO) -- Millions of unemployed Americans have another reason to worry about "fiscal cliff" budget talks that seek to avoid looming tax increases and dire spending cuts come January.
About 2.1 million people will stop receiving jobless benefits immediately if Congress doesn't reauthorize federal unemployment insurance programs by year's end. Another 1 million will lose benefits over the first three months of 2013.
White House officials have assured Democrats that President Barack Obama is committed to extending benefits for another year. Obama has proposed the $30 billion extension as part of ongoing negotiations over cutting federal deficits.
Republicans generally have avoided talking about the issue so far. But many GOP lawmakers have resisted the idea of more jobless aid without additional spending cuts to offset the cost.
President Obama is taking a sharply partisan tone in his weekly address, blaming House Republicans for blocking a bill to resolve the 'fiscal cliff' crisis.
As we move closer to the year-end deadline when deep program cuts and huge tax increases kick in, Congress has still not compromised on whether taxes should be raised on wealthier Americans to help reduce the deficit.
The latest Senate version would prevent a tax hike on the first quarter-million dollars of earnings.
"Even the wealthiest Americans would get a tax cut on the first 250-thousand dollars of their income. And families everywhere would enjoy some peace of mind. The Senate has alread done thier part. And we're just waiting for Republicans in the House to do their part. But so far they've put forward an unbalanced plan that actually lowers rates for the wealthiest Americans," President Obama said.
Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio says tax increases will not reduce the nation's $16 trillion debt.
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