#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

It’s official: The $600 in supplemental unemployment benefits is expiring today, before an extension has been guaranteed in Congress. Most people have already seen their last federal unemployment payments come through because of the way weekly unemployment schedules work, leaving millions of Americans anxious about their immediate future. Lawmakers have been debating whether to renew the unemployment boost all week — but where do we stand now? What happens next week, now that the provision has officially expired?

Are there currently plans to extend it?

Senate Republicans unveiled their proposal, the HEALS Act, on Monday — and it doesn’t extend the $600. It offers a much more austere across-the-board $200/week through September. Then, starting October, it would leave it up to states to supplement their usual unemployment benefits with extra federal unemployment to total 70% of someone’s lost wages. But the amount of federal unemployment each person is eligible for is capped at $500, so in practice not everyone may get 70% of their wages replaced.

Many states have had enormous logistical problems processing hordes of initial unemployment claims and sending them out in a timely manner. People in some states are still waiting for unemployment payments to start after applying months ago; there have been widespread reports of 8-hour-long lines in front of unemployment offices. Not only are Democrats opposed to this slash in unemployment from an economic and moral perspective, but The Hill reports that some states are saying it doesn’t even sound feasible.

How are negotiations going in Congress?

Not well. According to The Hill, lawmakers aren’t close to a deal. In a meeting last night, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin apparently did suggest an extension of the $600 — for a week. This pointless gesture was dismissed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who was also in the meeting, countered with a four-month extension. Pelosi and Schumer rejoined with an extension through Q1 of 2021. This was rejected by Mnuchin and Meadows.

Both Meadows and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy took to Twitter to slam the Democrats standing firm on a longer unemployment extension. McCarthy wrote, “Republicans just tried to extend unemployment insurance for the millions of Americans who are out of work and counting on extra support each week. Chuck and Nancy said no. And now Democrats are going home for the weekend… while they continue to collect a paycheck.” It’s a puzzling criticism, considering that Senate Republicans left for the weekend on Thursday.

Different factions are prioritizing different aspects of the next stimulus. While Democrats seem unwilling to concede on a longer extension of federal unemployment, as well as a new eviction moratorium and more funding to states, Senate Republicans — especially Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who called it a “red line” — have repeatedly said they would refuse any bill without liability protection for businesses that prevents workers from bringing COVID-19-related lawsuits. Yet the White House just announced that it would be willing to accept a deal without liability shields.

How long will it take lawmakers come to a decision?

There’s now a week left before Congress goes into recess until September. The frenzied hustle to pass the next stimulus package, like many other things about COVID-19 in the U.S., could have been avoided. The CARES Act was passed on March 27th, and there were immediate calls in Congress for another plan that would guarantee regular income for struggling households. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) introduced the Emergency Money for the People Act in mid-April, proposing a monthly stimulus payment of $2,000 for at least six months. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced the Paycheck Guarantee Act, a measure that would have covered companies’ payrolls for at least three months, reducing the number of layoffs and the demand on unemployment offices. Many European countries quickly enacted a paycheck protection scheme that prevented layoffs and the kind of shocking effect on the economy that the U.S. is grappling with now.

Throughout April and May, top Republican lawmakers continued to delay discussing what needed to come next, even with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell urging them not to allow federal relief measures to expire too soon. Now, having allowed the expiration of extra unemployment that served as a lifeline to many, lawmakers are locked in heated debate and racing against the clock to pass a bill before the next recess.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Next Stimulus Has $1,200 And Protects Corporations

Will The Stimulus Bill Pass By Next Week?

Why Are People Still Not Getting Unemployment?

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Whizy Kim, Khareem Sudlow