$600 Weekly Unemployment Payments Expire This Week As GOP Blocks Benefits Extension

Senate Republicans released an updated stimulus plan to extend the unemployment relief program starting in August. The plan would cut the benefits from $600 a week to only $200 a week. Republicans argued that the stimulus funds should not be so large as it could discourage Americans from going back to work.

Nearly 30 million jobless Americans have been receiving the $600 weekly unemployment benefit for the last four months. The fund has enabled many to pay their bills, as the unemployment rate soared amid the pandemic outbreak. However, this stimulus fund is set to expire on Friday.

Democrats passed the Heroes Act in May which would keep the unemployment benefit at $600 a week.

“It won’t include food assistance for hungry kids whose parents can’t feed them, how hard-hearted, how cruel,” said Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader.

The $600 a week stimulus fund came from the federal CARES Act that was initially passed on March 27.

Article by Dongyoon Shin