Two things are President Barack Obama's priorities in the first quarter of 2014: universal health care, and extending of jobless benefits by an additional year. While we all know the quagmire that the former is in, the latter is being met with very little resistance by the members of the predominantly-Republican Congress.

According to CNN Money, Obama made the extension of jobless benefits a priority in his speech on Wednesday. "Christmas-time is no time for Congress to tell more than 1 million of these Americans that they have lost this unemployment insurance," Obama said. "(That's) what will happen if Congress does not act before they leave on their holiday vacation."

And even though unemployment benefits have cost $252 billion since last July, House Speaker John Boehner suggested he was open to an extension. "If the President has a plan for extending unemployment, I'll take a look at it," Boehner said.

But according to the Political Ticker, all is not well in the nation's capital when it comes to this issue. In that same speech delivered on Wednesday, Obama blamed the Republicans for the increase in unemployment (and as such, the increased need for unemployment benefits).

"Unemployment insurance is one of the most effective ways there is to boost our economy. When people have money to spend on basic necessities, that means more customers for our businesses and, ultimately, more jobs. And the evidence shows that unemployment insurance doesn't stop people from trying hard to find work. But now that economic lifeline is in jeopardy. All because Republicans in this Congress - which is on track to be the most unproductive in history - have so far refused to extend it," he said.

Unless the Republicans approve the extension, unemployment benefits will expire on December 28th of this year for more than 1.3 million workers.