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Federal Unemployment Benefits To End For Some Saturday

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Many are bracing themselves as federal unemployment benefits are set to come to a halt Saturday for more than a million Americans.

As CBS News' Tara Mergener reported Friday, Congress failed to include a renewal of unemployment benefits for people who have been out of work for more than six months in the budget it passed before the holiday break.

The move has left 1.3 million Americans scrambling to fill a financial hole now that they won't be receiving federal benefits.

With no safety net for people like Jawanna McDonald, the end of federal benefits means putting plans on hold. "I have to push my schooling off the side for the moment, just to maintain some employment," McDonald told Mergener.

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on legislation to extend those benefits for three months once lawmakers return to Washington. House Republicans, however, want to know where the money is coming from before they will vote in favor of the extension.

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