In April of 2020, the unemployment rate in the U.S. reached its second-highest peak – surpassed only by the Great Depression. Millions of Americans lost their jobs last year, and they’re still struggling to make ends meet as the pandemic continues. 

Last year, Congress passed the CARES Act to help Americans survive, which allowed eligible Americans to collect $300 in federal unemployment aid each week, which meant more security for families and more money spent in local economies. In fact, estimates suggest the economic impact of these expanded unemployment benefits prevented millions of more Americans from losing their jobs. But just recently – on Labor Day – these unemployment benefits ended, leaving behind the 8 million Americans who relied on the program.

We need your help to support the unemployed Americans who were left with nothing when this critical safety net ended. Please, join us in calling on Congress to provide unemployed Americans with the federal assistance they need to survive.

Without these federal unemployment benefits, it will be even harder for unemployed families to buy school supplies for their children, put food on the table, and keep the lights on at home. Make no mistake: These Americans want to find good work, but jobs that pay a living wage are hard to come by.

Aside from unemployment benefits, there are many programs that the federal government put in place during the pandemic that could be helpful additions to the safety net for years to come. The American Rescue Plan provided a child tax credit that drove a historic reduction in child poverty, which could be extended if it stays in the $3.5 trillion budget proposal. The American Rescue Plan also provided critical assistance to low-income renters who are struggling to avoid eviction.

These programs didn’t stop people from looking for work, like Republicans may lead you to believe. Over the last few months, 26 states ended their federal unemployment benefits prematurely – and these states didn’t see more people going back to work after their unemployment benefits ended. They did, however, experience a sharp decrease in spending, which means taking away these unemployment checks could have hurt their economies.

The bottom line is that there’s no reason to rip away federal unemployment now. During this pandemic and beyond, Americans deserve a safety net for when times get tough. And not only is it the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do for our economy.

We can convince Congress to continue supporting the 8 million Americans who were receiving the $300 federal unemployment checks, but we need your help. It’s going to take a massive grassroots push to show Congress that they need to take action, so we’re counting on you to sign our petition now:

Please, John, will you call on Congress to provide the unemployment benefits that Americans need to survive?

Thank you for helping us build the economy from the middle out. We really appreciate your support.

Civic Action