Bush signs bill providing extra jobless benefits

One day after Connecticut revealed the loss of 3,600 jobs in October, President Bush signed into law today a bill that Congress approved to keep unemployment checks flowing to jobless Americans through the holiday season.

Bush signed the bill at the White House just before boarding Marine I this morning for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base and a flight to Lima, Peru, to attend the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The Senate approved the bill following an earlier report Thursday saying that new claims by laid-off workers for jobless aid had reached a 16-year high and the number of people looking for work had surged past 10 million.

The White House had opposed broader legislation containing the benefits extension and urged passage of the new version. (AP)