Democrats to end weekly $400 federal unemployment supplements in August
WASHINGTON — The weekly $400 federal unemployment supplements included in the pending economic aid package being considered by Congress will stop in August rather than being stretched through September, as some Senate Democrats had requested.
The Senate began formal consideration of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief measure Thursday, a day after Senate leaders agreed to narrow by several million people which Americans will receive $1,400 stimulus checks. The concession was intended to appease moderate Democrats worried that too many high-wage earners would receive the payments.
In exchange, some senators had pushed to extend unemployment benefits for the full six months that President Joe Biden initially requested, rather than the five months approved by the House. But the change did not make it into the final version of the bill. The bill provides a $400 weekly federal subsidy on top of state benefits.
Congress traditionally breaks for the month of August, and some lawmakers worried ending the benefits that month might lead to a gap before Congress can act again.
The Senate waited to release its version until it received assurance from the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation that the legislation complies with budget reconciliation rules, the process that Democrats are using to pass the bill quickly without needing Republican votes.
With that assurance in hand, the Senate voted to begin consideration of the economic aid package and moved to substitute the House bill with the Senate version.
The Senate bill also removed an increase to $15 a hour in the federal minimum wage because the Senate parliamentarian said it would not comply would reconciliation rules.