Mitch McConnell is suddenly interested in pandemic relief because Trump’s $300/week in extra unemployment benefits is running out.
The extra $300 federal boost to unemployment benefits created under an executive action signed by President Donald Trump is already running out for some states, less than a month after the program launched.
Both Texas and Tennessee, some of the first states to start paying the extra benefit, were notified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency this week that they will no longer receive funding to provide the $300 under Trump’s new Lost Wages Assistance Program.
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The states were told that funding for the program was to be cut off after the week ended Sept. 5.
Arizona’s Department of Economic Security also recently warned that the extra $300 payment could end in the state as soon as this week.
The extra unemployment, which already cut in half from the original expanded unemployment program, is toast. The “expanded unemployment” executive order that Trump thought would boost him politically and allow him to blame Democrats for holding up pandemic relief has been a massive bust.
Most states couldn’t afford to pay their share of the expanded benefit, so they never implemented it, and without congressional action, Trump didn’t have the funds at his disposal to keep the program going long-term.
The executive order is a gimmick that failed. The House already passed more pandemic relief in May. Trump and McConnell refused to act on the House-passed bill, and now with the election looking like a potential Democratic landslide, Republicans are scrambling to come up with a new gimmick to fool voters.
People need help, and Republicans are playing games heading into Election Day.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
