It’s been a month since the federal emergency jobless lifeline expired — are Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans STILL blocking emergency unemployment relief? YES.
The emergency $600 per week “lifeline for millions” ran out on July 31, but McConnell and Senate Republicans are on their third week of vacation after blocking efforts to renew the expiring aid and refusing to bring the Senate back in session to vote on additional relief. Instead, Republicans wasted weeks infighting as the clock ticked down on jobless benefits. Here’s a complete timeline of Senate Republicans’ refusal to extend emergency unemployment relief as the deadline to act came and went.
After Republicans’ inaction on expanded unemployment relief “created an urgent crisis” for millions of families, President Trump attempted an “end run” around Congress with chaotic executive orders that defund Social Security and Medicare, cut the federal contribution to emergency unemployment relief in half, and force already cash-strapped states to shoulder an additional 25% of the cost. Now, as “most jobless Americans aren’t seeing the money yet” that Trump promised, their “anger” is “directed at Republicans, who control the White House and the Senate” for failing to renew the expired emergency unemployment relief as millions of families face eviction, hunger, and uncertainty amid the ongoing public health and economic crisis.
“Millions of working families have spent the last 30 days struggling to meet basic needs, and now another month’s rent is coming due and Senate Republicans are still refusing to return to work and provide relief for the American people,” said DSCC spokesperson Helen Kalla. “Republicans in Washington chose to play politics instead of doing their job, and their cowardly inaction has made life even harder for millions of Americans facing this unprecedented public health and economic crisis.”
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