The Senate has advanced a measure that would extend the jobless benefits of 1.3 million Americans for three months. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program expired late last month after Congress failed to renew it. On Tuesday, the Senate agreed to begin debate on the temporary extension, setting up a likely vote later this week. At the White House, President Obama blasted claims from some Republicans that jobless benefits discourage recipients from seeking employment.

President Obama: “I can’t name a time where I met an American who would rather have an unemployment check than the pride of having a job. The long-term unemployed are not lazy. They’re not lacking in motivation. They’re coping with the aftermath of the worst economic crisis in generations.”

The measure would face a hostile reception in the House, where Republicans have insisted on an equal amount in cuts to avoid increasing the federal debt. House Speaker John Boehner has also floated a proposal to tie the jobless benefits to approval of energy projects, including the Keystone XL oil pipeline.