WASHINGTON - The Obama administration on Tuesday officially threw its weight behind legislation making its way through Congress to provide additional weeks of unemployment benefits to help Americans hit by rising joblessness.

A bill to extend jobless benefits to nearly 2 million people has been approved by the House but has stalled in the Senate amid Republican objections over how to fund it.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, Editing by Sandra Maler)

Barack obama Unemployment