Maddow Blog At crunch time, Republicans push to slash unemployment benefits

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Maddow Blog At crunch time, Republicans push to slash unemployment benefits
For many Americans, Congress' next economic aid package is already too late. Though CARES Act benefits don't officially expire until Friday, the way many states administer their unemployment-aid systems, the effective deadline for enhanced benefits was yesterday.

It's against this backdrop that congressional Republicans and Donald Trump's White House have spent recent months largely ignoring the problem. GOP leaders hoped to have an opening bid for negotiations with the Democratic-led House by late last week, but Republicans were too busy disagreeing with one another to unveil a blueprint.

By all accounts, GOP leaders have finalized their opening bid, which the public will see later today. But in the meantime, Republicans on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue spent the weekend making clear that one of their top priorities is slashing jobless benefits.

Top Trump administration and White House officials said Sunday that they want to replace expiring expanded unemployment benefits with a system that pays those out of work 70 percent of lost wages because they feel the current system gives people a reason not to return to the job. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on "Fox News Sunday" that 70 percent of wage replacement from the federal government, as opposed to the additional $600 per week, "is a very fair level."

If the latest reporting is accurate, the GOP plan -- which will still need to be negotiated with Democrats -- will replace the current weekly jobless benefit with a 70% wage replacement plan, though it will also add a $1,200 direct payment. The overall package is set to carry a $1 trillion price tag, which is less than half the total of the original CARES Act, and is roughly a third of the House Democratic package passed more than 10 weeks ago.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/maddow-blog-at-crunch-time-republicans-push-to-slash-unemployment-benefits/ar-BB17eOXE?li=BBnb7Kz

[Eyeball_Kid]

1. GOP numbskulls think that people will go back to work during the pandemic,

then get sick and die.

The enhanced UE benefits are in effect BECAUSE of the pandemic, not in spite of it.

But never underestimate the stupidity of the GOP, or they'll surprise you every time.

[RainCaster]

2. If those dumbfucks want to pay me 70% of my former income, I'm OK with that

That would add almost $2100 to my weekly unemployment checks.
Hell yes, I want to be back at work. My former employer and every one who wants to hire me would like to see us open up the economy. However, we all want to see a stable competent government first.