Democrats, Republicans on the attack over unemployment benefits

Verbal attacks continued Wednesday over the delay to pass an unemployment benefits extension that is expected to clear Congress later on Wednesday. 

Senate Democrats skewered Republicans for opting to use up all 30 hours of debate on the bill before taking a vote on final passage. 

Republicans launched their own arguments, painting Democrats and their legislative agenda as killing jobs. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called it "a dark day in the United States Senate, and some feel it brings shame to this institution," over Republican insistence to let the debate time expire before taking a final vote. 

"But more than that, it hurts the very people we were sent here to help," Reid said on the floor Wednesday morning.

Reid compared the delay to standing in front of a burning house and waiting to put out a fire. 

"The clock continues to tick. The unemployed continue to suffer. And too many of our Republican colleagues — who for years have proven they’ve never seen an economic crisis they couldn’t turn into a political opportunity — continue to prove they’ve never seen an opportunity they can’t turn into a crisis,” he said on the floor. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) shot back that the Democratic agenda is failing to create jobs needed to lower the unemployment rate and accelerate the nation's recovery. 

"As I stand here this morning, millions of Americans are struggling to find jobs — and yet all they see in Washington are Democrats passing massive bills that, at their core, seem to have one thing in common: more job loss," he said on the floor. 

"It’s almost as if it’s a prerequisite for any Democrat legislation: If it leads to more job loss, they’ll pass it."

The Senate voted 60-40 on Tuesday afternoon to end debate on the six-month extension of unemployment benefits, ending a six-week Republican filibuster.