Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is calling for the U.S. government to begin addressing the nation's budget deficit. But with a jobless rate that continues to rise and a nation of employers still reluctant to hire, most lawmakers appear to be more interested in finding the right spending tools to address unemployment.

Another federal extension of unemployment benefits is likely, although passage of a Senate version of the bill is taking longer than some would like. CQPolitics reports today that Republicans are trying to include an amendment extending the first-time homebuyer tax credit in the unemployment extension bill, which could further delay passage of the bill. Republicans last week delayed the bill because they disagreed with Democrats over how it should be funded—not over the extension itself.