On Monday, the U. S. Senate voted 60-34 to take up the debate about whether to continue extended unemployment benefits.

The New York Times has reported that four Republicans, including newly elected Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, and Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, joined 56 Senate Democrats to allow the $9 billion jobless benefits bill to come up for discussion.

It was further reported that Conservatives contend any additional federal spending should be accompanied by corresponding spending cuts. But given the current high unemployment rate of 9.7 percent as the country edges out of deep recession, Democrats say adding to the federal deficit is warranted to help out about 200,000 out-of-work people whose benefits have expired.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said, "Let us help the families who are struggling in this difficult economic time."

It was countered by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., by saying that Washington needs to exercise the same fiscal restraint as average Americans.

Coburn further said, "We refuse to do the same things that families across this country do every day and that's make a choice about priorities." (With Inputs from Agencies)