Portman and four other Republicans senators came up with a bill two weeks ago to extend – for five months -- federal emergency unemployment benefits. The extension would be retroactive to late December, when the benefits expired, and Portman expects it to pass the Senate next week. But in a conference call with reporters, Portman acknowledged he has not called fellow Ohioan, friend and House Speaker John Boehner to push the bill in the other house of Congress. 

“I talk to him all the time, but this is something that we’ve working on the staff level. My goal is to get this through the Senate, that’s been enough of a challenge. And then the House is going to do what it thinks is best. I’m not going to tell the House how to operate.
"I do believe that there is a way to work through this through an implementation point of view.  I also think the House may have some good ideas on how to reform unemployment insurance.”

Boehner last week said he had issues with the retroactivity of the benefits and claimed the bill doesn’t address causes of chronic joblessness.  

Portman says the bill met one of his criteria – that it is paid for. And he says there’s a commitment by both Republicans and Democrats to keep working on how to help people who are out-of-work long-term.