Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees may be exempt from ObamaCare's employer mandate, but they still could face fines for helping employees cover the costs of their health insurance coverage. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) promulgated the rule against "coverage reimbursement arrangements," which took effect on July 1.

For most businesses the new year will ring in the ObamaCare employer mandate that was delayed in 2013.

ObamaCare's employer mandate isn't just a problem for businesses, it's also causing some major problems in public school systems around the country. This provision of the law requires employers, both public and private, with more than 50 full-time employees, defined as those working an average of 30 hours or more in a week, to offer health insurance benefits or face a punitive per worker tax.

After a report last week that rising insurance premiums would drive employers to dump 90 percent of workers’ health care plans by 2020, the IRS went into damage control mode using its preferred course of action: executive fiat.

When the Obama Administration quietly announced a year delay in the Obamacare employer mandate on the eve of the 4th of July, it came as a big surprise. But knowing what we do now about the nonfunctional nature of the healthcare.gov backend, it's completely unsurprising that they delayed the employer mandate. In 2014, expect delays, waivers, and unconstitutional ad hoc changes to Obamacare and other laws to continue.  

Now that the Continuing Resolution has been returned to the House of Representatives with funding restored for Obamacare, the Republicans are faced with a choice. Do they press for defunding now, with the strong possibility of a fight over a government shutdown, or instead push for a delay of the implementation of Obamacare?

A crack has opened in the ObamaCare dike.  In a stunning setback for the controversial health care law's supporters, 22 House Democrats yesterday joined 227 Republicans to delay its linchpin provision, the individual mandate. In so doing, they revealed the law's Achilles heel. Senate Republicans should capitalize on this breakthrough by forcing a vote on the mandate delay as soon as possible.

Capitol Hill Update, 15 July, 2013House & Senate/Schedule: Both chambers are in session this week, and will remain so until August 2nd.

The sound you hear is ObamaCare’s death knell. Late yesterday, the Administration announced that has decided to unilaterally (and by the way, illegally) postpone enforcement of the employer mandate for a full year, until 2015.