Nancy Pelosi Will Call House Back From Recess to Act on Jobs Bill

Vacation interruptus. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will call the U.S. House back from recess to finish work on a $26 billion bill that is expected to save tens of thousands of police, firefighter and teacher jobs across the country.

With the help of two Republicans -- Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe -- the Senate broke a procedural logjam on the legislation and then approved it 61-39 on Thursday. That leaves it to the House to agree to the Senate version, but lawmakers recessed for the summer last week -- so Pelosi is telling her colleagues to return next week for one more roll call.

President Obama called the advancing bill "an important step towards ensuring that teachers can stay in the classroom and cash-strapped sates can get the relief they need."

State governments will get $16 billion from the package to pay Medicaid bills, preventing the need for layoffs and cuts in programs, according to the Associated Press. Another $10 billion is ticketed for grants to school districts facing teacher layoffs.

Republican objections have focused on the cost of the legislation at a time when the federal budget deficit is expected to exceed $1.3 trillion this year. Rather than add to that amount, Democrats promised to make reductions in other programs, including future monthly food stamp benefits, and to raise taxes by limiting the use of foreign tax credits by certain U.S.-based multinational companies, the AP said.

Food action and anti-poverty groups opposed the pinch on food stamps. In a letter to senators, the advocacy groups said current benefits "average less than $4.50 per person, per day. While the cost of food may not have risen at the rate anticipated, reverting to the inadequate previous levels of benefits, adjusted for inflation, will not provide (Food Stamp) recipients with the funds needed to obtain a nutritionally adequate diet on a consistent basis."