Sen. Dick Durbin is sponsoring bills to exempt unemployment benefits from income tax and to have the federal government subsidize an unemployed person’s health insurance costs. The Illinois Democrat says a lot of people are surprised to find out unemployment payments are taxable. And many people are shocked to find out just how much it costs to keep health insurance through COBRA.
Durbin says there still aren’t enough safeguards against the fraud that affected the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance last year.
During a news conference Friday, Durbin explained that it could be a couple weeks before Congress sends a new pandemic relief package to Pres. Biden. Congress must deal with former Pres. Trump’s impeachment first. Then there’s a break for the Presidents Day holiday.