» Unemployment Benefits

After Democrats were once again able to overcome Republican opposition that was holding up unemployment benefits for millions of workers in difficulty, Congress passed an extension of emergency unemployment benefits, and President Obama signed it int… Read More

The New York Times has a very useful article on COBRA, and how it is affected by the recently-enacted health care reform act. It starts: “If you’ve recently joined the ranks of the unemployed or are worried that you soon will, you may be wond… Read More

Senate Republicans have once again blocked a much-needed extension of unemployment benefits, ignoring the needs of millions of workers that rely on those benefits. This time, it is Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn who has single-handedly denied workers… Read More

On March 2, President Obama signed the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (summary here), a bill that will extend the 65 percent premium COBRA subsidy through March 31, 2010, and unemployment assistance benefits through April 5, 2010. The Senate passed… Read More

Inexplicably, Republican Senator Jim Bunning has held up a much-needed extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits. Bunning has single-handily blocked a vote on a 30-day extension by being the only senator to oppose a unanimous consent motion to vot… Read More

On December 21, 2009, President Obama signed a Defense Appropriations Bill, which also included two-month extensions for unemployment benefits and the 65% COBRA subsidy that was in the stimulus package. Specifically, the act extended the COBRA premiu… Read More

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which was passed last year, goes into effect this weekend with regard to its ban on employment discrimination. GINA prohibits employers from requesting genetic testing or considering someone’s g… Read More

The Senate finally passed the extension for unemployment insurance last week, and it was promptly signed by President Obama on Friday. The extension was originally passed by the House in September, but it had been held up in the Senate by Republicans… Read More