John,

Right now, Republican governors in states across the country are stopping
payments of the increased federal unemployment benefits because they claim
that these unemployment benefits discourage millions of Americans from
looking for jobs.

In Iowa, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds: “...now that our businesses
and schools have reopened, these payments are discouraging people from
returning to work."

In Missouri, Republican Governor Mike Parson: "It's time that we end
these programs that have ultimately incentivized people to stay out of
the workforce."

In South Carolina, Republican Governor Henry McMaster: "This labor
shortage is being created in large part by the supplemental unemployment
payments that the federal government provides claimants on top of their
state unemployment benefits."

What these Republican governors refuse to accept is that people don't stay
home because unemployment benefits are so great. They stay home because
the federal minimum wage has not been raised in over a decade and at $7.25
per hour even a 40-hour workweek isn't enough to stay out of poverty.

[ [link removed] ]House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and
President Joe Biden all support the Raise the Wage Act, legislation that
would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, but some Democrats in
Congress still need pressure to get them on board. Join DFA as we build
the grassroots pressure and fight to make Democrats pass a living wage.

Raise The Wage: [link removed]

The numbers speak for themselves, a worker that makes the federal minimum
wage of $7.25 per hour, works 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, only has
an annual income of $15,080.

Yet, raising the federal minimum wage to just $15 an hour would lift the
wages of tens of millions of working people, create over $100 billion in
additional income for families that need it most, including more than 20
million women, 5 million single parents, and 1.3 million children.

If all 27 Republican governors end unemployment benefits before they
expire in September, over 4 million workers will lose a vital source of
income that helps keep a roof over their head and food on the table. 

On ABC’s This Week, DFA’s CEO Yvette Simpson pointed out that the problem
isn't Americans receiving unemployment benefits, which in many states is
well below the poverty line, it's businesses not paying a living wage.

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

[ [link removed] ]Check the clip out and join us as we fight to make Democratic
Leadership pass a living wage.

Raise The Wage: [link removed]

Thanks for taking action to raise wages for working families.

— Tre

Tre Graves
Campaign Organizer
Democracy for America




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