FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 27, 2020 Media Contact: [email protected]
Governor Whitmer: McConnell Plan Must Do More to Protect Working Families, Frontline Workers, Small Businesses
LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the following statement after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republicans in Congress released their proposed plan to continue the fight against the coronavirus.
“After delaying action for months on the next COVID-19 relief aid package, President Trump, Sen. McConnell, and Republicans in Washington released a plan that fails to support states and communities as they continue to respond to the pandemic and denies adequate relief to the millions of hardworking Americans who have lost their job as a result of the Trump Administration’s mishandling of this crisis.
“Last week, 1.4 million people across the U.S. filed initial unemployment claims, the first increase since April, yet this proposal would reduce pandemic-related unemployment benefits that have been a lifeline for so many, including more than 1.1 million in Michigan who were relying on the $600 supplement to make ends meet before it expired last week. Making matters worse, Congressional Republicans and the White House are also proposing a move to a system that would calculate emergency unemployment benefits based on previous wages that would likely result in weeks, if not months-long, delays of getting critical relief to individuals and families already struggling to stay afloat. Our working families cannot go that long without this important economic lifeline. I hope Republicans in Congress will do the right thing and extend benefits at their current levels to help the more than 25 million unemployed workers impacted by this deadly pandemic.
“In April, Sen. McConnell said that he would rather see states declare bankruptcy than provide us with the federal support we need to protect our families and loved ones. The plan he announced today reflects that sentiment. It doesn’t include any additional funding for states like Michigan to provide crucial services to our residents. At a time when this country needs strong federal leadership, the Trump Administration and Mitch McConnell have once again fallen short. We need leaders who will help working families recover from this pandemic, not just the wealthy and well-connected.” |
