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Governor Urges Extensions of Unemployment Insurance, COBRA
5 months agoIn a letter to congressional leaders, the governor today urged swift passage of legislation to extend critical unemployment insurance assistance programs as well as aid to unemployed workers so they can afford health care.
In early 2009, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress and the Obama administration acted quickly to provide full federal funding for extended unemployment compensation, increase unemployment benefits, and provide unemployed workers with subsidies to help them afford their COBRA health care coverage.
“Just last month, Congress again temporarily extended these programs, providing the long-term unemployed with access to benefits,” the governor wrote. “These measures were enormously helpful to Michigan residents and I thank you for taking these actions. However, the extension of existing federal unemployment and COBRA programs is again set to expire on April 5. It appears that the obstructionist tactics of a few could cause over 120,000 Michigan residents in April alone to lose the support they are depending on to help them weather the current economic crisis.”
“This is not the time to stand in the way of providing help to families across the country as we emerge from this recession,” the governor wrote. “I urge you to extend these benefits as soon as possible.”