Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a $138 billion proposal extending the filing deadline for unemployment benefits through the end of 2010. Meanwhile, representatives in the House are still deciding how to approach their own jobs bill. But with the last stop-gap extension set to expire at the end of March, the chamber unanimously approved a bill today that extends the filing deadline for jobless insurance through May 5.  Unless House and Senate leaders can agree on the terms of a year-long extension, the upper chamber would have to vote on this bill before March 31 for the it to go into effect.

As we've noted before, extending the deadline provides no additional benefits to those who have exhausted all four tiers currently provided by the federal government.