Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Labor said the COVID-19 vaccine mandate applying to companies with 100 employees or more won’t be enforced until February, giving companies an additional month to roll out their plans. On Friday, a federal appeals court allowed the mandate to proceed but Republican state attorneys general and other groups have vowed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Senate Democrats in Washington will press forward with the massive social spending bill known as “Build Back Better.” On Monday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed the Senate will vote on the bill in early January, even after fellow Democrat, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, announced he would vote “no” on the bill as it is currently written. Manchin’s vote is needed to get the legislation through. In a letter to his Senate colleagues, Schumer said the Senate will continue voting on revised versions of the bill.
The recently approved federal infrastructure bill will provide billions of dollars to New Jersey. And a little-known policy change in the bill could go a long way toward helping New Jersey and other states pay for massive infrastructure projects. Under the change, states will have a longer period in which to pay back low-interest federal loans. The repayment period, in some cases, will extend to 75 years. Learn more here.
Nearly 287,000 New Jerseyans have signed up for health insurance or renewed their policies through GetCovered.NJ.gov — the state’s health care exchange — a 26% increase from last year. While premiums are rising this year, the state says 90% of enrollees will qualify for some assistance.
