Senate Approves Bill Providing Two Additional Months of UI, COBRA Assistance

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Ilyse Schuman

Update: This entry has been updated to reflect that the bill was signed into law.

Late Thursday night, President Obama signed into law legislation that provides another temporary extension of emergency unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and the 65% premium COBRA subsidy, both of which lapsed over the recent legislative recess.  Hours earlier, the Senate voted 59-38 to pass the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4851) with an amendment (S. Amt. 3721) (pdf) in the nature of a substitute bill introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), which will extend UI benefits through June 2, 2010, and premium COBRA assistance through May 31, 2010. The original bill – which cleared the House by voice vote on March 17 but stalled in the Senate over how the measure would be paid for – provided for extensions of these benefit programs through May 5 and April 30, respectively.  Shortly after Thursday's Senate vote, the House approved the bill by a 289-112 margin. 

The additional time is needed, according to lawmakers, because longer UI and premium COBRA extensions – which are included in the Tax Extender Act of 2009 (H.R. 4213) – are unlikely to be finalized before the end of the month. The Senate passed this bill in March, but will need to reconcile its terms with the House-approved measure and voted on again before it can be signed into law.

On Wednesday, the Continuing Extension Act cleared a crucial Senate procedural hurdle when Democrats were able to defeat a point of order that would have required that the cost of the bill be completely offset. A vote earlier in the day failed when Sen. Patrick Leahy (I-VT) was in Vermont for a funeral. Thursday’s vote was made possible because three Republican senators – George Voinovich (R-OH), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) – joined 56 Democrats in approving the bill.

Photo credit: MBPHOTO, INC.
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Senate Votes to Advance COBRA, UI Extension Bill

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Ilyse Schuman

After a two-week legislative recess, the Senate voted 60-34 on Monday to limit debate on the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4851), a bill that would temporarily extend the 65 percent premium COBRA subsidy until April 30, 2010, and emergency unemployment insurance benefits until May 5, 2010. This measure cleared the House of Representatives by voice vote on March 17, but hit a stumbling block in the Senate when Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) objected to the fact that the cost of the bill was not fully offset. The Senate therefore failed to approve this emergency measure before the recess, allowing the UI and premium COBRA benefits to expire during the break. A final vote is not expected until later this week.

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Bill Temporarily Extending COBRA, UI Benefits Stalls

Posted on March 26, 2010 by Ilyse Schuman

Raod blockDespite last-ditch efforts, the Senate failed to approve the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4851) before the two-week legislative recess. This bill would have extended the 65 percent premium COBRA subsidy another month, until April 30, 2010, and emergency unemployment insurance benefits until May 5, 2010. Both measures – which were already given one-month extensions by means of the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4691), are set to expire while Congress is out of session. On March 17, the House cleared the measure by voice vote. The bill stalled in the Senate after Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) objected to the fact that the cost of the bill was not fully offset. It is expected that when the Senate reconvenes on April 12, consideration of the temporary extension bill will be the first order of business, and that the provisions of the bill, if approved, would be retroactive.

Photo credit:  Maravic

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House Passes Another Temporary COBRA, UI Extension Bill

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Ilyse Schuman

On March 17, the House of Representatives passed by voice vote the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4851), legislation that would extend the 65 percent premium COBRA subsidy another month until April 30, 2010, and the emergency unemployment insurance benefits until May 5, 2010. On March 2, President Obama signed into law the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4691), a bill that extended the COBRA subsidy until March 31, 2010, and emergency unemployment insurance benefits until April 5, 2010. The Senate has already passed the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213), a more comprehensive bill that includes provisions continuing both benefits programs through the end of this year. Although it is expected the House will ultimately pass this measure, a vote may not come until after these programs have expired, thus creating the need for another extender bill.

The Senate is expected to take up this measure shortly.

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