Those who have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks, rejoice. The baller-status lifestyle you’ve been enjoying on those $309-a-week (on average) checks should be able to continue. Ramen noodles and store-brand Capri Sun for everyone!

The Senate finally managed to rustle up the votes needed to block the filibuster on the bill that funds the extension of benefits, not that it wouldn’t have been some of the greatest television ever if you turned on C-SPAN a week from now and Mitch McConnell were there, reading a phone book, perhaps trying to guess if each name he read belonged to an unemployed person or not:

With a GOP filibuster safely broken, the Senate is poised to pass legislation restoring jobless benefits for millions of people unable to find work in the frail economic recovery. Wednesday’s vote is a formality after the Democratic-controlled Senate voted 60-40 Tuesday to move ahead on the bill. The measure would then go to the House for one final vote and on to President Barack Obama later this week.

Republicans say they support the benefits extension. But with the exception of Maine GOP moderates Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, who voted with Democrats Tuesday, they insist any benefits be financed by cuts to programs elsewhere in the $3.7 trillion federal budget.

Really, whether you agree or not, I think it is hard not to almost giggle and think “aw, that’s cute, they think someone is going to CUT spending” when you see the Republicans’ position.

The vote was taken just after Carte Goodwin was sworn in to replace the late Robert Byrd of Virginia, and think of the knots you’d probably get in your stomach if you had to do something this contentious on your first day on the job. Okay, it’s probably not as bad as the knots you’d get if you were waiting on a $309 check in the mail so you could buy enough cold cuts to survive the week, but still, I mean, having an opinion on this bill is apparently enough to merit getting punched in the face, so having the deciding vote is kind of a big deal.

In addition to jobless people, everyone from state agencies to retailers is also rejoicing this morning, as these checks are essential to keep jobless consumers consuming and stop the facade of economic recovery from cracking. Now, if we could just get some actual job creation up in here?