On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which allocated almost $2 trillion economic relief. From the standpoint of progressives, “the bill’s crown jewel,” was a provision that increased standard weekly unemployment benefits by $600 for four months, with this provision expiring July 31. In addition, a newly created Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program was created, extending benefits to those typically excluded—namely, freelancers, furloughed employees, and gig workers. This measure was intended to ensure that the average workers who lost their jobs would have 100 percent of their wages replaced. This benefit was a massive increase over the $25 per week added to people’s checks during the 2009 recession.
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