Washington, D.C.– This week, U.S. Consultant Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Chairman of the New Democratic Coalition, together with New Democrat Coalition Vice Chair Scott Peters (CA-52) and Joint Financial Committee Vice Chair Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08), led 114 Members in sending a letter to Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Chief Steny Hoyer urging the Home to take motion on unemployment insurance coverage.
Within the letter, the Members requested for Home consideration of laws to reauthorize the improved unemployment compensation and set up unemployment insurance coverage automated stabilizers at some point of the COVID-19 public well being and financial disaster. Particularly, the Members advocate consideration of the Worker Relief and Security Act, which was launched by Reps. Kilmer and Beyer earlier this yr.
The Employee Reduction and Safety Act would prolong the $600 weekly federal unemployment compensation advantages by way of the period of the nationwide COVID-19 public well being emergency.
The letter reads:
“As Democrats, we all know how vital it’s to get support to the individuals who want it most. Whereas there are numerous proposals to increase unemployment advantages, the one approach to offer monetary reduction to tens of millions of People with out being topic to political hurdles, is to enact automated stabilizers for unemployment advantages. By passing laws that ties unemployment advantages to financial triggers, we are able to be certain that support is restored to those that want it and forestall future lapses so long as the economic system tells us support is required.”
Learn the complete letter here or under.
August 18, 2020
Despatched Electronically
Expensive Speaker Pelosi and Chief Hoyer:
Thanks for taking decisive steps to save lots of the U.S. Postal Service by scheduling a vote on laws this weekend. The Postal Service supplies a necessary service to each American and is a lifeline to many, together with our seniors and our veterans. Whereas rescuing the Postal Service is essential, it’s equally vital that we offer a lifeline to the 30 million People who’re counting on unemployment insurance coverage. Subsequently, we ask, as members return to Washington to deal with the disaster on the USPS, that the Home contemplate laws just like the Employee Reduction and Safety Act (Beyer/Kilmer).
The Employee Reduction and Safety Act would prolong unemployment advantages to those that want it and guarantee advantages final at some point of the recession by tying continued enhanced unemployment insurance coverage to the well being disaster and financial indicators. It has been 18 days for the reason that weekly $600 enhanced unemployment advantages expired, leaving 30 million People in a lurch. We owe it to folks ready to get again to work throughout the nation not solely to increase unemployment advantages to assist them pay their payments, however to tie these advantages to financial situations so employees should not held hostage by one other cliff like this one.
Practically 30 million People, or one in 5 employees, are at present counting on unemployment advantages to maintain a roof over their head, put meals on the desk, and maintain their children wholesome. The improved unemployment compensation of $600 per week offered households assist to fulfill their wants, changed misplaced earnings, stabilized family spending, and in flip, stimulated the broader economic system.
For the reason that $600 complement has expired, numerous constituents have reached out to our places of work, expressing heartbreaking tales, during which they have to select between paying for groceries or their automotive cost. Some could make it by way of the subsequent few months however are apprehensive about what is going to occur as soon as financial savings run out. Our financial footing is fragile.
As you recognize, over the last recession, Congress prolonged emergency unemployment advantages 13 instances. This time, we appear headed for an much more perilous path as Republicans have already blown previous the deadline to increase the improved unemployment compensation with reckless abandon, happy by the President’s woefully insufficient Government Order.
The Employee Reduction and Safety Act would mechanically proceed, broaden, and modify enhanced unemployment insurance coverage applications primarily based on public well being and financial triggers by way of the period of the disaster with out the necessity for additional congressional motion. Particularly, the invoice would prolong the $600 weekly federal pandemic unemployment compensation (FPUC) at some point of the nationwide COVID-19 well being emergency, after which proceed and modify the weekly federal unemployment compensation quantity and variety of obtainable unemployment profit weeks depending on the state whole unemployment charge.
As Democrats, we all know how vital it’s to get support to the individuals who want it most. Whereas there are numerous proposals to increase unemployment advantages, the one approach to offer monetary reduction to tens of millions of People with out being topic to political hurdles, is to enact automated stabilizers for unemployment advantages. By passing laws that ties unemployment advantages to financial triggers, we are able to be certain that support is restored to those that want it and forestall future lapses so long as the economic system tells us support is required.
We admire your diligence and steadfast dedication to American employees and hope you’ll transfer ahead this laws for consideration.
Sincerely,
The letter was signed by: Scott H. Peters (CA-52), Don Beyer (VA-08), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Invoice Foster (IL-11), Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Suzan Ok. DelBene (WA-01), Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), Bradley S. Schneider (IL-10), David Trone (MD-06), Denny Heck (WA-10), Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02), Peter Welch (VT), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Adam Smith (WA-09), Norma Torres (CA-35), David E. Worth (NC-04), A. Donald McEachin (VA-04), Kathleen M. Rice (NY-04), Ed Case (HI-01), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Colin Allred (TX-32), Donna Shalala (FL-27), Sharice L. Davids (KS-03), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Susie Lee (NV-03), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Darren Soto (FL-09), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Bobby L. Rush (IL-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Steve Cohen (TN-09), TJ Cox (CA-21), Jim Himes (CT-04), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Mike Quigley (IL-05), André Carson (IN-07), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Al Lawson (FL-05), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Mike Levin (CA-49), Max Rose (NY-11), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Charlie Crist (FL-13), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), Jim Costa (CA-16), John Yarmuth (KY-03), Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04), Salud O. Carbajal (CA-24), Angie Craig (MN-02), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Deb Haaland (NM-01), Cindy Axne (IA-03), Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), Adam Schiff (CA-28), Mary Homosexual Scanlon (PA-05), Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Judy Chu (CA-27), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-01), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Val Demings (FL-10), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jason Crow (CO-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Harley Rouda (CA-48), Tim Ryan (OH-13), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Jim Langevin (RI-02), Daniel T. Kildee (MI-05), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), Invoice Keating (MA-09), José E. Serrano (NY-15), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Stacey E. Plaskett (VI-AL), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Andy Levin (MI-09), Susan Davis (CA-53), Ted Deutch (FL-22) and Zoe Lofgren (CA-19).