WASHINGTON – President Bush signed hastily passed legislation Wednesday extending unemployment benefits for 2.5 million victims of a weak economy, the first accomplishment of a new, Republican-controlled Congress.

Democrats in both the House and Senate complained that the measure fell short of what was needed, but Bush said its enactment “should bring some comfort to those of our fellow citizens who need extra help during the time in which they try to find a job.”

The measure extends a federal program that provides 13 weeks of benefits for the unemployed who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state aid. The federal program lapsed on Dec. 28, but the Labor Department said the flow of benefits would continue uninterrupted if legislation were signed into law by Thursday.

Officials said an estimated 750,000 people, including about 1,800 Mainers, are immediately affected, plus an additional 1.6 million who are expected to become eligible before the extension expires on June 1.

The president placed his signature on the $7.2 billion bill a few hours after it cleared the House on a vote of 416-4. The Senate passed the measure Tuesday on a voice vote.

The lopsided votes masked a politically charged debate in which Republicans claimed credit for helping the jobless as their first order of business in the new Congress, and Democrats accused the GOP majority of acting grudgingly.

“It is important to note that the first piece of important legislation … helps American families by extending unemployment insurance,” said Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

Democrats failed in an attempt to win approval for a more generous bill, and said they were underwhelmed by the GOP-crafted measure.

Apart from the unemployment measure, the House unanimously approved legislation during the day granting a 3.1 percent pay raise to federal judges, the same boost that other government employees received on Jan. 1.

GOP leaders also were working for passage of legislation to keep the federal government in operation through Jan. 31. Current spending authority for many departments and agencies expires on Saturday.

Bush signed the unemployment bill at a meeting with top Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, his first since the new Congress convened.