WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement after the Senate failed to pass a procedural measure to allow for an up or down vote on extending federal unemployment insurance:

Today’s vote in the Senate leaves millions of Americans in the lurch as they scramble to make ends meet. Federal support for unemployment insurance has been a lifeline for millions of Americans who have been laid off through no fault of their own, and the longer we go without it, the worse off they’ll be. But we shouldn't just extend benefits because it’s the right thing to do—it’s also the smart thing to do for our economy. Every dollar that we put into unemployment insurance returns nearly double that for the economy. Republicans in the Senate chose to turn their backs on these men and women who have worked hard all their lives and are desperate to get back to work. This fight isn’t over.