Goodwin’s entry to the Senate could mark a significant boost for efforts to extend unemployment benefits to over two million jobless Americans. Republicans, as well as Democrats, have opposed approving the benefits, citing concerns over the deficit. In his weekly radio address, President Obama singled out Republican opposition.

President Obama: “They say we shouldn’t provide unemployment insurance because it costs money. So after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, including a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, they’ve finally decided to make their stand on the backs of the unemployed. They’ve got no problem spending money on tax breaks for folks at the top who don’t need them and didn’t even ask for them, but they object to helping folks laid off in this recession who really do need help.”