The unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent in November, the Labor Department announced on Friday. The real jobless number was 15.6 percent when you add those forced to work part-time and others who have given up hunting for jobs. Congress must act by year's end to extend benefits for the long-term unemployed. The Senate on Thursday passed a $662 billion Department of Defense authorization bill. Sen. Bernie Sanders voted no, saying that Pentagon spending should come down after the United States military pulls out of Iraq by the end of the year. The Senate on Thursday also blocked a proposal that Sanders opposed because it would siphon funds from Social Security.

Unemployment 

The rate is now lower than at any point since March 2009, when it also was 8.6 percent. Payrolls rose by 120,000 when private companies added 140,000 jobs while the public sector-federal, state and local governments-lost 20,000 jobs.  Wages are up by 1.8 percent over the past 12 months but not enough to keep pace with inflation, which is at 3.6 percent.  There were 13.3 million Americans unemployed last month, a drop of 594,000. Real unemployment - which counts people forced to settle for part-time work and those who have given up looking for jobs - stood at 15.6 percent, also down slightly.

Jobless Benefits 

Unless Congress acts by the end of the year, a program will expire that has provided extended unemployment insurance benefits for some jobless people for as long as 99 weeks.  "In January alone, 1.8 million workers who currently receive federal unemployment insurance or would have begun to receive it will be cut off if Congress does not renew the program," according to a recent report from the National Employment Law Project.  Unemployment benefits pump money into the overall economy because most recipients quickly spend all of the money they receive.

Social Security 

The Senate on Thursday blocked proposals to extend a Social Security payroll-tax break. A Democratic bill would have taken $265 billion from the retirement program's dedicated financing stream. The vote was 51 to 49, far short of the 60 needed for passage. Sanders, who founded the Senate's Defending Social Security Caucus, voted no. He has proposed other progressive ways to provide tax breaks for middle class families. He explained the situation during a radio interview Friday with Thom Hartmann.

Defense 

Congress and the White House are headed for a showdown over a massive $662 billion defense bill that would require the military to hold suspected terrorists linked to al Qaeda or its affiliates, even those captured on U.S. soil, and detain some indefinitely without trial. The Senate voted 93 to 7 Thursday night to pass the legislation. Sanders voted no, saying the bill failed to end excessive Pentagon spending, which has tripled since 1997. He also disagreed with a provision on military tribunals that civil liberties groups opposed. Listen to Bernie talk about his vote.

World Aids Day 

On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, Sanders called on Congress to pass his legislation to dramatically lower the price of prescription drugs used to treat the disease. He cited the example of ATRIPLA, a three-drug regime that costs less than $200 to make but is sold in the United States for $24,000 a year. "If a treatment that is literally a matter of life and death for a person living with HIV/AIDS can be produced for a mere fraction of the average retail price, we must do everything possible to get people the medicine they need at a price they can afford," Sanders said.  His legislation would spur development of and enhance access to new HIV/AIDS medicines by rewarding innovation directly in order to get prices down as soon as innovative AIDS drugs hit the market.  By allowing patients to purchase generic versions of HIV/AIDS medicines, the bill would lower prices dramatically. Read the senator's column.