**The US Senate has passed stopgap legislation to keep benefits flowing for the long-term jobless and provide funding for road building projects.**The 78 to 19 vote came after Republican Senator Jim Bunning, who blocked the move for days, dropped his objections amid pressure from his own party.
He had argued that the bill would add $10bn (£6.6bn) to the federal deficit.
As existing legislation had expired, thousands faced losing benefits, while road workers were told to stay home.
The legislation passed by the Senate on Tuesday extends a number of programmes for another month while Congress grapples with a much larger bill covering payments through the year.
Kentucky Senator Mr Bunning, 78, had used procedural tactics since last Thursday to delay the measure.
The former baseball star said he did not want to add to the US’s ballooning deficit, and that the Democrats had not explained how they were going to pay for it.
Many Republicans said they agreed with his view but not his tactics.
The deadlock was broken when Mr Bunning lifted his opposition in return for a vote to close a tax loophole.
But he insisted the cost of unemployment benefits should not be added to the federal deficit.
“We are on an unsustainable path as far as the budget,” he said.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said Mr Bunning had accepted an offer he had turned down for days.
“As a result… unemployment benefits were cut off for thousands of people across America, assistance for health care was cut off across America, thousands of federal employees were furloughed,” he said.