Senate passes new-hire bill

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate has passed a bill aimed at boosting job growth by giving tax breaks to businesses that hire the unemployed.

The move marked a rare legislative victory for President Barack Obama, who has had to watch other domestic legislative priorities such as health care overhaul and a climate change bill stall. It passed Wednesday by a bipartisan 70-28 and now goes to the House of Representatives, which passed a far more ambitious version in December.

Econmists says the tax breaks could create perhaps 250,000 jobs.