Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) accepted an offer from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to drop his hold on a bill that will allow unemployed workers to see their Unemployment Insurance benefits and health insurance subsidies continue for 30 more days and to return some 2,000 federal highway safety employees to work today. The Senate quickly passed (78-19) the $10.3 billion bill, HR 4691, and cleared it for President Obama's signature

CQ ($):

The 78-19 vote to clear the bill (HR 4691) for President Obama’s signature came after Democrats lambasted Bunning for preventing the Senate from extending the popular programs.

The bill would provide a short-term renewal of economic safety-net programs for the jobless and laws governing satellite television transmission. It also would prevent a cut in Medicare physician payments and would extend small-business, flood insurance and highway programs.

Bunning had blocked the measure since last week, arguing that the $10.3 billion cost should be offset. But he relented Tuesday, accepting an offer from Democratic leadership to have a vote on his proposal to pay for the bill’s cost by preventing “black liquor,” a wood byproduct, from being eligible for the cellulosic biofuels producer tax credit.

Democrats had offered Bunning the same deal last week and ripped him Tuesday for not taking it sooner.