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Dear Friend,
We’re hearing from moms every single day who are struggling with unemployment and questioning how they are going to pay their bills and continue to put food on the table for their families. Moms like Beverly, who writes:
“When I was laid off from my job due to COVID-19, as a single mother I was petrified. The added $600 in unemployment benefits has been a lifeline, the difference between keeping a roof over our heads and homelessness. With no end in sight of this pandemic, we need the expansion of unemployment benefits to make sure no one gets left behind in this situation we had no control over.”
Right now unemployed workers are receiving $600 per week in additional unemployment benefits, but unless the U.S. Senate takes action soon, those benefits will expire on July 31st!
Here’s what’s going on: The CARES Act, passed by Congress in late March, provided an extra $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits to make struggling workers whole during this pandemic and to stimulate the economy. But that enhancement will arbitrarily end on July 31st. [1] That means millions of unemployed workers are about to take a $2,400 per month cut in pay unless Congress takes immediate action. With an unemployment rate still sitting at around 13.3% and 59% of CEOs saying they are implementing hiring freezes, now is NOT the time for Congress to short-change struggling Americans and undercut our economy. [2]
We have an emergency situation: President Trump and his GOP allies are pumping the brakes on any further action to assist those out of work, despite what economists from both sides of the aisle are predicting in terms of our floundering economy and record unemployment numbers. In fact, President Trump is opposing the extension of the $600 boost in unemployment insurance past July 31st, when it is set to expire. [3] The $600 is critical to those out of work because it allows for full wage replacement versus the usual 30-50% wage replacement people would normally see with Unemployment Insurance. [4] The $600 is also critical to rebuilding our economy, which is based on consumer-spending. This is another case of our president being out of touch with the real lives of families and completely lacking in compassion if he thinks the average American family can survive on half of their usual monthly paycheck!
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and many of his Republican colleagues aren’t much better. They have said time and time again that the $600/week boost is unnecessary, which is absolutely not true in terms of what our economy and families need. [5] But do you know who recognizes the need for these benefits? Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives, which passed the HEROES Act weeks ago, extending the $600 per week boost, and providing numerous critically important supports for families and front line workers dealing with the pandemic. [6]
As almost anyone based in reality can tell you, our economy continues to suffer and since our families make up the economy, so do we! As of May 16, nearly one in four workers have applied for unemployment insurance benefits, either in the regular program or through the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, since stay-at-home orders first went into effect. Black workers have been especially hit hard by the COVID-19 economy with more than one in six Black workers losing their jobs between February and April. And Black women in particular are uniquely struggling as both the majority of frontline essential workers AND seeing record unemployment rates. [7]
Here is the letter we are asking you to sign and sending to the Senate:
“Dear Senator,
Unemployment Insurance is a vital lifeline for families and stimulus for the economy that will be critical to our nation’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. We need Congress to ensure this safety net will be available to all who need it until our economy has sufficiently recovered. In particular, we are asking you to take immediate action and continue the $600 per week boost past July 31st and tie its phase out to economic indicators. The $600 per week is one critical element of the House-passed HEROES Act— legislation that is a crucial starting point for the next emergency policy package, which our families and economy need to get through this pandemic.
Without a strong Unemployment Insurance system our families will continue to suffer and our economy will be slow to recover. We need you to act now!”
We have no time to waste on speaking out against this issue! We are 30 days away from millions of unemployed families seeing a serious and detrimental cut to their household income. which will have a negative ripple effect in our economy. We need the U.S. Senate to follow the House’s lead to vote to extend unemployment benefits NOW and to move forward the critically important elements within the HEROES Act! After you sign our letter, forward this email to your friends and family and ask them to sign as well. You can also post our action link to Facebook.
Thank you for continuing to take action and speak up for our families during this time of crisis!
-Elyssa, Kristin, Donna, Nate, Jordan, and the entire MomsRising/ MamásConPoder team
P.S. Elijah McClain -- a young Black man who loved animals, a violinist, a highly regarded massage therapist, and a person beloved by his community -- was simply walking home from the store after buying iced tea when police officers in Aurora, Colorado detained and murdered him nearly a year ago. The officers who murdered Elijah have yet to be fired or charged. There is still no justice. Not only have the officers NOT been charged yet, on Sunday the Aurora, CO police, in riot gear, used pepper spray to break up a peaceful violin vigil in a city park calling for justice for Elijah, who was killed by that very same police department last year. —> TAKE ACTION HERE!
P.P.S. Along with your signatures, we want to be able to send your stories to the Senate as well. Share with us how Unemployment Insurance is helping your family during this pandemic.
[1] “Unemployment benefits will be reduced after July 31.” CNBC, May 4, 2020.
[5] “McConnell and Pelosi’s next battle: How to help the 40 million unemployed.” Politico, May 31, 2020.
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