Senate Gets Closer to Unemployment Benefits Extension
The Senate this evening took a step toward extending the filing deadline for unemployment benefits, hopping a procedural hurdle that sets the stage for final
Jul 31, 2020195.2K Shares2.7M Views
The Senate this evening took a step toward extending the filing deadlinefor unemployment benefits, hopping a procedural hurdle that sets the stage for final passage of the bill later this week.
The count was 60 to 34 to sidestep a filibuster by Republicans — notably Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.) — who were urging the Democrats to offset the $9.2 billioncost with unspent funds from last year’s economic stimulus bill.
The legislation — which the House had passed unanimously last month — extends COBRA benefits and the filing deadline for unemployment benefits through May 5. Those benefits had expired April 5, leavinghundreds of thousands of unemployed workers without an income.