Congress Unable To Agree On More Aid; President Signs Executive Order

Over the weekend, President Trump signed executive orders to provide Americans with additional financial help during  Covid-19 pandemic, in the wake of Congress failing to take action amidst ongoing partisan bickering.

To pay for the extra 400-dollars per week in unemployment benefits, the President is proposing to take money from the natural disaster fund.

The federal government would pay $300 per week per unemployed person, and individual states would have to pay $100 per week per unemployed person.

Federal unemployment benefits were augmenting jobless people with 600 dollars per week, in addition to the state unemployment benefits they were getting.  The 600 dollars per week supplement expired on July 31st, 2020.  Congressional action to extend the benefit has stalled repeatedly.

More than 40 million people lost their jobs, others lost their businesses,  when governors around the country, ordered private businesses to close due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Even with the closures, 5 million people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the United States since March, and 160-thousand people have died.

 

 

Photo from Alpha Media USA Portland OR