Washington, D.C. ? The House on Wednesday narrowly defeated a Democratic attempt to give unemployed Americans an extra three months of jobless benefits after the White House threatened to veto the bill.

The bill would have extended the average $300-a-week unemployment benefit check by 13 weeks for all Americans. Job seekers in high unemployment states like Alaska, California, Michigan and Rhode Island would have been able to get an extra 13 weeks on top of that.

House Democratic leaders brought up the bill under a procedure that required a two-thirds vote for approval. The final vote was 279-144, three votes shy of the margin needed for passage.

Kansas Reps. Dennis Moore and Nancy Boyda, both Democrats, voted to pass the bill, while Republicans Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt voted against it.

Senate Democrats will try to resurrect the measure by adding it to a must-pass war spending bill.