The United States Senate voted unanimously on November 4th to extend unemployment benefits by as much as 14 weeks to out-of-work Americans who have exhausted their jobless benefits or would do so by year’s end.

The legislation -- which had been languishing in the Senate for weeks -- still required a 60-vote supermajority to close off debate as Republicans repeatedly held it up, despite the unanimous vote in the end. It now returns to the House, where quick passage could come as early as Thursday, November 5th…with President Obama signing it into law shortly thereafter.

It could be weeks, however, before states can start getting the extension checks out to people who have already exhausted their unemployment benefits.