SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A volunteer prepares food from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida for distribution to the needy at Church in the Son on August 7, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo: Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Just Two States Have Begun Paying Out Boosted Unemployment Aid 15 Days After Mnuchin Promised Benefits in a 'Week or Two'
"The American people need real relief that fights the pandemic and puts money in workers' pockets—posturing and gimmicks will not solve the enormous problems they face."
Aug 25, 2020
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin vowed on August 10 that "within the next week or two," most states would be able to set up and carry out President Donald Trump's makeshift program authorizing a $300-per-week federal boost to unemployment benefits.
As of Tuesday, more than two weeks after Mnuchin's comments, just Arizona and Texas have begun distributing the $300 weekly payments, leading Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) to declare that "Trump's smoke-and-mirrors executive orders are simply not good enough."
"The American people need real relief that fights the pandemic and puts money in workers' pockets--posturing and gimmicks will not solve the enormous problems they face."
--Rep. Don Beyer Earlier this month, after the White House and Democratic congressional leaders failed to reach a deal extending the federal unemployment supplement that lapsed at the end of July, Trump signed an order redirecting up to $44 billion in disaster funds into a new program that lawmakers and experts criticized as illegal, unworkable, and woefully inadequate. The president promised the benefits would be "rapidly distributed."
The Lost Wages Assistance program greenlights a $300-per-week federal supplement to existing state unemployment benefits, with cash-strapped states expected to kick in an additional $100 each week. The $300 weekly federal boost represents just half of the $600-per-week supplement that officially expired on July 31 thanks to opposition from congressional Republicans and the Trump administration.
As Bloomberg reported Tuesday, 30 states have been approved for the federal benefits but many are struggling to get the program up and running due to its design. Officials from Utah and New Mexico, two states that have been approved for the program, told Bloomberg that "they anticipate it will be a few weeks before payments reach residents."
Beyer, the vice chair of the congressional Joint Economic Committee, noted in a statement Tuesday that "it has been a month now since Senate Republicans shamefully allowed enhanced unemployment benefits to expire," drastically cutting the incomes of around 30 million Americans.
"The American people need real relief that fights the pandemic and puts money in workers' pockets--posturing and gimmicks will not solve the enormous problems they face," said Beyer. "If the White House does not get serious about the level of aid that is needed, it will imperil the economic recovery."
Beyer's warning comes amid numerous signs--including surging unemployment claims--that the recovery is sputtering as Covid-19 continues to spread across the United States. Some analysts have linked the expiration of the $600-per-week federal unemployment boost to faltering consumer spending:
Despite the worrying trajectory of the overall economy and the dire financial conditions that tens of millions of Americans are currently facing, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has shown no interest in calling his chamber back from summer recess to work with House Democrats on a Covid-19 relief package.
"Thirty million don't have enough to eat, 22 million are behind on rent," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted Monday. "It is morally obscene that the American people have to rely on GoFundMe to pay for rent and food. Mitch McConnell: End your vacation. Pass emergency relief now."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin vowed on August 10 that "within the next week or two," most states would be able to set up and carry out President Donald Trump's makeshift program authorizing a $300-per-week federal boost to unemployment benefits.
As of Tuesday, more than two weeks after Mnuchin's comments, just Arizona and Texas have begun distributing the $300 weekly payments, leading Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) to declare that "Trump's smoke-and-mirrors executive orders are simply not good enough."
"The American people need real relief that fights the pandemic and puts money in workers' pockets--posturing and gimmicks will not solve the enormous problems they face."
--Rep. Don Beyer Earlier this month, after the White House and Democratic congressional leaders failed to reach a deal extending the federal unemployment supplement that lapsed at the end of July, Trump signed an order redirecting up to $44 billion in disaster funds into a new program that lawmakers and experts criticized as illegal, unworkable, and woefully inadequate. The president promised the benefits would be "rapidly distributed."
The Lost Wages Assistance program greenlights a $300-per-week federal supplement to existing state unemployment benefits, with cash-strapped states expected to kick in an additional $100 each week. The $300 weekly federal boost represents just half of the $600-per-week supplement that officially expired on July 31 thanks to opposition from congressional Republicans and the Trump administration.
As Bloomberg reported Tuesday, 30 states have been approved for the federal benefits but many are struggling to get the program up and running due to its design. Officials from Utah and New Mexico, two states that have been approved for the program, told Bloomberg that "they anticipate it will be a few weeks before payments reach residents."
Beyer, the vice chair of the congressional Joint Economic Committee, noted in a statement Tuesday that "it has been a month now since Senate Republicans shamefully allowed enhanced unemployment benefits to expire," drastically cutting the incomes of around 30 million Americans.
"The American people need real relief that fights the pandemic and puts money in workers' pockets--posturing and gimmicks will not solve the enormous problems they face," said Beyer. "If the White House does not get serious about the level of aid that is needed, it will imperil the economic recovery."
Beyer's warning comes amid numerous signs--including surging unemployment claims--that the recovery is sputtering as Covid-19 continues to spread across the United States. Some analysts have linked the expiration of the $600-per-week federal unemployment boost to faltering consumer spending:
Despite the worrying trajectory of the overall economy and the dire financial conditions that tens of millions of Americans are currently facing, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has shown no interest in calling his chamber back from summer recess to work with House Democrats on a Covid-19 relief package.
"Thirty million don't have enough to eat, 22 million are behind on rent," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted Monday. "It is morally obscene that the American people have to rely on GoFundMe to pay for rent and food. Mitch McConnell: End your vacation. Pass emergency relief now."
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin vowed on August 10 that "within the next week or two," most states would be able to set up and carry out President Donald Trump's makeshift program authorizing a $300-per-week federal boost to unemployment benefits.
As of Tuesday, more than two weeks after Mnuchin's comments, just Arizona and Texas have begun distributing the $300 weekly payments, leading Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) to declare that "Trump's smoke-and-mirrors executive orders are simply not good enough."
"The American people need real relief that fights the pandemic and puts money in workers' pockets--posturing and gimmicks will not solve the enormous problems they face."
--Rep. Don Beyer Earlier this month, after the White House and Democratic congressional leaders failed to reach a deal extending the federal unemployment supplement that lapsed at the end of July, Trump signed an order redirecting up to $44 billion in disaster funds into a new program that lawmakers and experts criticized as illegal, unworkable, and woefully inadequate. The president promised the benefits would be "rapidly distributed."
The Lost Wages Assistance program greenlights a $300-per-week federal supplement to existing state unemployment benefits, with cash-strapped states expected to kick in an additional $100 each week. The $300 weekly federal boost represents just half of the $600-per-week supplement that officially expired on July 31 thanks to opposition from congressional Republicans and the Trump administration.
As Bloomberg reported Tuesday, 30 states have been approved for the federal benefits but many are struggling to get the program up and running due to its design. Officials from Utah and New Mexico, two states that have been approved for the program, told Bloomberg that "they anticipate it will be a few weeks before payments reach residents."
Beyer, the vice chair of the congressional Joint Economic Committee, noted in a statement Tuesday that "it has been a month now since Senate Republicans shamefully allowed enhanced unemployment benefits to expire," drastically cutting the incomes of around 30 million Americans.
"The American people need real relief that fights the pandemic and puts money in workers' pockets--posturing and gimmicks will not solve the enormous problems they face," said Beyer. "If the White House does not get serious about the level of aid that is needed, it will imperil the economic recovery."
Beyer's warning comes amid numerous signs--including surging unemployment claims--that the recovery is sputtering as Covid-19 continues to spread across the United States. Some analysts have linked the expiration of the $600-per-week federal unemployment boost to faltering consumer spending:
Despite the worrying trajectory of the overall economy and the dire financial conditions that tens of millions of Americans are currently facing, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has shown no interest in calling his chamber back from summer recess to work with House Democrats on a Covid-19 relief package.
"Thirty million don't have enough to eat, 22 million are behind on rent," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted Monday. "It is morally obscene that the American people have to rely on GoFundMe to pay for rent and food. Mitch McConnell: End your vacation. Pass emergency relief now."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.