Voters Support Extending The Expanded Unemployment Benefits Until The End Of This Crisis
By Senator Ron Wyden
In the midst of a global pandemic and unprecedented economic crisis, Republicans want to allow supercharged unemployment benefits to expire after July 31st.
The Trump administration has given up on fighting the virus, and cases are surging in many states. The seven-day average of new cases is again above 30,000, and hospitals are dangerously close to capacity in Arizona and Texas cities.
The seven-day average of new cases is around 40,000. Hospitals are dangerously close to capacity in cities in Arizona and Texas. Bars and restaurants in Arizona, California, Florida, Texas are again shutting down.
At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Dr. Tony Fauci, warned that the United States could hit 100,000 virus cases per day without strong action.
It’s simply absurd to think that 20 million Americans receiving unemployment benefits in the midst of this ongoing public health catastrophe will be able to go back to the jobs they had or find new jobs.
With no large events, restaurants operating at significantly reduced percent capacity, tourism decimated, school openings uncertain, and many businesses remaining shuttered, unemployment will remain at historically high levels for months, if not years, to come.
What’s worse, as federal economic support wanes and state and local government job losses accelerate, there will be additional job losses and what were thought to be temporary job losses will become permanent.
In the face of this nationwide misery, Republicans want to slash weekly incomes for 20 million unemployed workers by up to 70 percent, while Democrats want to extend benefits until the crisis is over by tying them to economic conditions.
Republicans are pursuing austerity on steroids despite the fact that supercharged unemployment benefits are popular with the American people. They have saved millions of families from financial ruin and helped prevent total economic collapse. Despite the worst recession since the Great Depression, poverty decreased and incomes rose this spring.
Data for Progress polling shows that voters support the expansion of unemployment benefits by providing an additional $600 per week so that workers can have 100 percent of their wages replaced during the coronavirus pandemic. This policy enjoys a 31-percentage-point margin among all voters and a majority of both voters who self-identify as Democrats and Republicans support it.
In addition, Data for Progress polling shows that when voters are presented with the Democratic position--extend benefits until the unemployment rate falls back to pre-pandemic levels--and the Republican position--end benefits because they add too much to the national debt--the Democratic position wins by 17 points.
Similarly, when voters prefer the progressive position that it was necessary to supercharge unemployment benefits to keep families afloat and stimulate the economy over the conservative position that supercharged benefits are too generous by 15 points.
The popularity and success of supercharged unemployment benefits is precisely why Republicans oppose them – there's no better evidence of Republicans' failed trickle-down economic agenda than the success of putting money in workers’ hands.
Voters have seen that there’s no need to shower corporations with billions in tax cuts when the federal government can directly support workers.
The bottom line is: Democrats have the upperhand in this coming fight, both from a policy and political perspective.
Today, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and I are introducing legislation that would extend the $600 federal boost to unemployment benefits, gradually phasing it down as the unemployment in each state falls.
Our proposal would continue the $600 boost until a state’s unemployment rate falls below 11%. The boost would fall to $500 at 10% unemployment, $400 at 9% unemployment, $300 at 8% unemployment, $200 at 7% unemployment, and $100 at 6% unemployment. This ensures that increased benefits won’t disappear overnight.
The American people support continuing this vital aid, even when presented with Republican spin, and Democrats will fight for them.
Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) is a United States Senator from Oregon.
From June 21 through June 22, 2020, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,353 likely voters nationally using web-panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, and voting history. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error is ± 2.7 percentage points.
Question wording:
Which of the following comes closer to your view:
1- The government should extend the coronavirus unemployment relief until the unemployment rate falls back to where it was before the coronavirus pandemic
2- The government should end the coronavirus unemployment relief because it would increase the national debt too much
3- Don’t know
Which of the following comes closer to your view:
1- The expansion of unemployment insurance due to the coronavirus pandemic was too generous. Some workers make more than they would make at their jobs, which will discourage them from going back to work. We need to reduce or end this temporary expansion of unemployment insurance.
2- The expansion of unemployment insurance due to the coronavirus pandemic was necessary and by putting money in people's pockets it stimulated economic growth, kept families out of poverty and stopped businesses from going bankrupt. We need to continue it until the unemployment rate returns to where it was before the pandemic.
3- Don’t know