Congress still not settled on continuing expanded unemployment benefits

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated on Friday that settling on a deal for the next congressional relief package could take weeks as Senate Republicans explore how to continue expanded unemployment benefits in a more limited capacity, The Washington Post reports.  

The $600 weekly unemployment benefit given to Americans who have lost their jobs during the pandemic expired in New York on Sunday, with a possible extension currently in limbo. Reopening has yet to abate much of the ongoing unemployment crisis, leaving many New Yorkers nervous about the loss of funding. 

White House officials have supported continuing some extended unemployment benefits in upcoming legislation, along with liability protections for businesses and nonprofits, although those proposals are less generous than the current $600 benefit. Some Republican elected officials have called for a $200 weekly benefit while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has called for the funding to replace about 70% of workers’ previous income. Meanwhile, House Democrats, who have already passed their own relief package, are calling to extend the $600 benefit.