Today, following the release by the U.S Department of Labor of weekly unemployment claims showing that another 2.3 million workers have filed for unemployment benefits last week, with a total of 34 million workers currently receiving or having applied for benefits, Groundwork Collaborative released the following statement and background making the strong case for Congress to move quickly to address the unemployment benefits cliff that is set to hit families and the economy next week.
“Not only would it be morally reprehensible for President Trump and his conservative allies to cut the income of 30 million families during a pandemic, it would also be devastating for an economy that is already severely damaged and heading in the wrong direction,” said Michael Linden, Executive Director of Groundwork Collaborative.
“Congress enacted this critical lifeline to support families and keep the economy going while it wasn’t safe for workers to get back on the job and the rationale for these unemployment benefits has only gotten stronger as COVID-19 has surged in recent weeks. Congress must move quickly to do the right thing for families and the economy and extend these expanded benefits until this crisis is finally truly over.”
Background on the economic impact of unemployment proposals (based on analysis from EPI)
FACT CHECK – GOP claims that expanded unemployment benefits disincentivize work: FALSE
Voters strongly support extending expanded UI and would prefer to vote for candidates who support it.
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