U.S. Senator Pat Toomey is against maintaining the 600 dollars a week federal unemployment benefits
Written by Victoria Scialfa on August 6, 2020
U.S. Senator Pat Toomey is against maintaining the 600 dollars a week federal unemployment benefits
By Julia Agos, WITF
August 6, 2020
Pennsylvania’s junior U.S. senator is pushing back against Democrat lawmakers’ demands in talks over the next coronavirus stimulus plan.
WITF’s Julia Agos reports Republican Pat Toomey is against maintaining the 600 dollar a week federal unemployment benefits under the previous aid package.
At least 12 percent of Pennsylvanians are out of work – and last week, Congress allowed the 600 dollars a week they were getting to expire.
Senator Toomey says those extra benefits – which often amount to more money than a person made at their job – are keeping people from going back to work.
Proponents of the extra unemployment benefits say that is exactly the point, to pay people to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Toomey says the proposed three trillion dollar bill is too costly, noting the government cannot use unemployment benefits to prop up the economy.
He’s encouraging most industries to reopen as long as they implement social distancing and mask-wearing policies.
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