A safety net also could encourage more mothers to return to the labor force at a time when the female participation rate in the United States is at a 20-year low.

The U.S. Senate failed to move forward a Democratic plan to restore emergency jobless benefits that expired Dec. 28 for 1.3 million Americans.

A report from the Congressional Management Foundation finds congressional aides are very unhappy with the law and concerned about what it will do to their benefits.

Charges pursued by the agency were led by racial discrimination (36 percent) and discrimination based on gender (31 percent).