Senate Passes Unemployment Extension

Max Baucus
The Continuing Extension Act of 2010 passed the Senate Thursday by a vote of 59 to 38, and will be sent to the House for consideration.

“Families in Montana and across the country are still struggling to get by, and we can’t leave them behind,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., who introduced the bill. “We have a responsibility to make sure out-of-work Americans can still access the vital safety-net programs they need to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table while Congress works to pass a longer-term solution and create the jobs that will get our economy moving again.”
The continuing Extension Act of 2010 would extend federal unemployment programs retroactively, including the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program, through June 2, 2010. It also would extend eligibility for a 65 percent subsidy for COBRA premiums through May 31, 2010 and provide transition relief for individuals who lost their jobs between March 31, 2010 and the date of enactment.

The bill also would extend the current Medicare payment rates for physicians