Reid: One vote shy on extending unemployment

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday said two Republicans will support his new extension to unemployment benefits and that he is hopeful a third and final Republican will eventually back the bill.

"If we had Senator Byrd's replacement we would have 60," he told reporters. "We have to wait and see what a couple of Republicans do." 

Reid did not say which Republicans have chosen to support the bill, but one of them is expected to be Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine), who last week said she would support a stand-alone extension of unemployment benefits. 

A vote on that extension is expected to occur Thursday evening, but the timing still is unclear. 

Reid has introduced legislation that extends unemployment relief for six months and extends for three months the deadline to close on the purchase of a home and still qualify for the homebuyer tax credit. 

But Reid today said the homebuyer tax credit portion of the bill could pass under unanimous consent later on Wednesday, which would make the six-month extension of unemployment benefits a stand-alone measure.