An extra $200 a week? How about $500? GOP looking at adding more to jobless benefits
Republicans are eyeing plans to add at least $200 and as much as $500 to weekly unemployment checks for the hundreds of thousands of Washington workers without jobs.
Their plans would boost the average weekly state benefit, now an estimated $527, to anywhere between $727 and $1,027, according to analyses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and The News Tribune.
Democrats want to be more generous and reinstate until January the $600 supplement unemployed workers received from the federal government from late March until late last month, when the benefit adopted in a COVID-19 relief law expired.
Democrats want to be more generous and keep the $600 supplement unemployed workers received from late March until late last month until January, as the covid pandemic spread.
President Donald Trump has not endorsed any specific plan, but has said he wants to continue some supplemental payment.
Asked by McClatchy if he would want a specific amount or a percentage of wages to replace the $600, Trump would not say.
“We are looking at it. We’re also looking at various other things that I’m allowed to do under the system,” he said.
He blamed Democrats for the impasse. “They seem to be much more interested in solving the problems of some of the Democrat-run states and cities that have suffered greatly through bad management,” Trump said.
On Capitol Hill this week, GOP senators are discussing plans that would:
▪ Give states a choice. Under a proposal from Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Mike Braun, R-Ind., a state could either add $200 or two-thirds of lost wages to regular unemployment benefits. Maximum added benefit would be $500 per week.
Estimated average weekly Washington impact of two-thirds: An extra $324.
▪ Give states a different choice. Another plan, introduced Wednesday, would allow states to either pay 80% of lost wages or a flat amount of $400 or 500 per week in August (it’s up to each state), $400 next month and $300 or a sum pegged to 80% of prior earnings from October through December. Its backers include two senators facing tough reelections, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Martha McSally, R-Ariz., as well as Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.
Estimated average weekly Washington impact in August: An extra $400 or $500.
▪ Give states time to implement a “lost wage” plan. This proposal, offered by Senate Republican leaders, would $200 a week for up to 60 days, while states installed a system that replaced 70% of wages.
Estimated Washington weekly impact of 70%: $367, according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce analysis.
▪ Give unemployed workers another $500 a week in August and September. This plan, authored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., would adjust that payment slightly in October so it would cover 100% of pre-pandemic wages but no more than $500 weekly.
Estimated Washington weekly impact in August and September: $500.
Largely gone is the Republican view earlier this year that extra benefits too often discourage people from seeking employment.
“No fair minded person wants to provide unemployment benefits that are greater than one’s previous salary,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.
But he objected to “no unemployment benefits...that’s unfair. We’re going to have people who don’t have jobs to go back to.”
White House negotiators reportedly floated the idea of having a $400 weekly benefit.
A flat payment amount would help ease a problem many states could face by trying to implement a new benefit system.
Suzi LeVine, Washington Employment Security Department commissioner, told reporters this week it would take about two weeks to implement a flat rate system, and much longer to get a percentage system in place.
The department has been deluged by an unprecedented volume of claims -- and ongoing complaints from workers about trouble trying to reach anyone for help.
Since the coronavirus pandemic sent the economy reeling in March, ESD has paid out over $8.7 billion in benefits. During the week ending July 25, there were 677,355 claims.
Many Republicans see some ability to find a compromise with Democrats ahead, which would mean people would wind up with more than $200 a week.
“Settle the difference at $300 and let’s get on down the road and get this thing done,” said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 3:39 PM.
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