Senate

Schumer: Administration ‘must move heaven and earth’ to implement new unemployment benefits

by Jordain Carney - 04/02/20 11:11 AM ET

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday urged the Trump administration to quickly implement bolstered unemployment aid included in the massive $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package.

Schumer’s comments come after more than 6.6 million people filed initial unemployment claims during the last week of March. That comes on top of the roughly 3.3 million initial claims filed in the previous week, underscoring how the spread of the virus has decimated the U.S. economy.

“Today’s jobless report shows the grim reality of the coronavirus’s crippling effect on our economy and working families,” Schumer said in a statement.

“The Department of Labor must move heaven and earth to—as quickly as possible—get the expanded unemployment benefits Congress passed last week into the pockets of workers who have lost their paychecks through no fault of their own. America’s workers and families cannot afford a delay,” he added.

The push to expand unemployment insurance was one of the thorniest sticking points in the negotiations over the $2.2 trillion stimulus package. In the end, Congress’s third coronavirus relief bill included expanded benefits that would provide an additional $600 a week in unemployment compensation for roughly four months.

Schumer, who was informed of the latest unemployment numbers during an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday, added that the boosted unemployment checks need to go out within two weeks.

“Think of that in human terms, of each individual most of them have worked hard and long at their companies. … So we got to get this plan up and running,” he added.

Schumer and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Wednesday asked Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia “to do everything” within his authority to smooth the way for states to quickly disburse the boosted unemployment insurance.

“Do you have a plan to make sure that eligible Americans are able to receive their benefits within two weeks of applying? If yes, please share your plan with us. If no, please let us know how long you expect it will take for eligible Americans to receive their benefits and what Congress could do to speed up the process,” the senators asked in their letter.

Tags Bernie Sanders Chuck Schumer Coronavirus Ron Wyden Stimulus