In a case of amazing GOP unemployment stupidity, many Republican legislators are focused on “not paying people more in unemployment benefits than they could earn if they were working.” The key word is “could.”
The line of reasoning these GOP legislators are using only makes sense if one critical thing were true (but it is not): if there were jobs for unemployed people to do.
However, these Republican legislators are apparently unwilling — or unable — to comprehend that the majority of unemployed people are unemployed because the companies they used to work for are not operating. It is a simple, easy-to-understand fact.
This means that these unemployed people have not chosen not to work and instead receive unemployment benefits. The jobs they had are not available — and this is why they have applied for unemployment benefits.
Time will tell if there will be any end to this GOP unemployment stupidity.
According to US News & World Report, “The GOP hasn’t reached consensus on whether – or by how much – to renew the enhanced federal benefits that are set to mostly expire by the end of the week, but the party has strongly indicated that the weekly $600 federal enhancement provided on top of state unemployment benefits would need to be reduced. Some lawmakers are floating the possibility that it could be modified to between $200 and $400 a week, according to The Washington Post.”
Forbes reported on July 16, “On Thursday, the United States Department of Labor announced that over 1.3 million Americans filed initial unemployment claims last week. This report marks the 17th consecutive week of 1-million-plus unemployment claims. About 51 million people have filed for unemployment benefits since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This doesn’t include the millions of others who’ve finished collecting benefits, given up looking for a job or have reluctantly taken a position far below their prior compensation level just to make ends meet.”
Remember, the Coronavirus impact did not have to be like this.
Trump made it like this.
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