Democrats Hope to Change the Subject from Obamacare When they return Next Year

Reeling from public dissatisfaction with ObamaCare, Senate Democrats hope to change the subject when they return in the new year, with a proposal to raise the minimum wage by 40 percent and another to extend long-term unemployment benefits for three months. 

But Democrats face two big hurdles. One is House Republicans skeptical of both measures. The other is Democrats' own claims about the economy itself. 

Democrats have touted modest progress in the economy lately, and critics ask: If it's doing as well as Democrats claim, why are those bills needed? 

"Extending unemployment insurance isn't going to help," said Glenn Hubbard, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under the George W. Bush administration. 

The economy still is on shaky ground, but Democrats may struggle to convince colleagues that more emergency economic measures are needed. 

The current jobless benefits extension runs out Dec. 28. Of the proposed extension, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "There is no greater challenge in this country than income inequality, and we must do something about it." 

There is strong evidence, though, the economy is picking up. 

The Commerce Department on Tuesday reported that November's orders for durable goods beat expectations, rising 3.5 percent. A new housing sales report sent mixed signals, with sales dipping 2.1 percent in November from a five-year high in October. The unemployment rate has sunk to 7 percent -- still high, but moving in the right direction. And the budget deal worked out in Congress this month removes some budget uncertainty.

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