Washington, D.C. ? For the third time in as many weeks, Senate Republicans on Wednesday successfully filibustered a bill to continue providing unemployment checks to millions of people.

But this time, since the slimmed-down measure attracted two Republican votes, its passage seems assured next month once a replacement is in place for Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., who died on Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., a supporter of the bill, had to vote “nay” to take a procedural step that would allow for a revote. Even though the tally stood at 58-38, Democrats were in reality just one vote short of the 60 needed to beat the filibuster. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska was the sole Democrat against the bill.

Immediately after the jobless aid vote, the Senate cleared for President Barack Obama’s signature a measure to give homebuyers an extra three months to finish qualifying for federal tax incentives that boosted home sales last spring.