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LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2883634.story

With 2 million jobless workers set to lose unemployment benefits this month, the kind of extension that Congress routinely approved in the past has fallen victim to partisan deadlock — and the consequences could be serious for the U.S. economy.

The benefit payments have helped millions of families make ends meet. But they have also pumped billions of dollars into the financial bloodstream of the nation's economy as it has struggled to regain its footing after the worst recession in more than half a century.

Extending the payments, which average $310 a week, is seen by many experts as a way to prop up consumer spending, which accounts for 70% of the nation's economic activity.

"In terms of bang for buck that you get, this is one of the most effective things the government can do," said Justin Wolfers, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.