75% of Americans don’t want expanded unemployment benefits to be cut
People waiting in line to receive a food bank donation on May 15 in New York City. Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
3 in 4 voters support keeping or expanding the $600 per week of supplemental unemployment benefits that the federal government is providing for those who lost their job during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Morning Consult poll of 1,987 registered voters.
Why it matters: More than 20 million American workers remain unemployed as the Trump administration pushes for unemployment benefits created through the CARES Act to end in late July, Politico reports.
- House Democrats' Heroes Act would extend the CARES Act's additional $600 weekly unemployment benefit through the end of January 2021, but the Senate has not taken up similar legislation.
By the numbers: 35% of all surveyed voters said they want benefits to remain the same, while 13% said the benefits should be reduced.
- 57% of Democrats said they supported support expanding unemployment insurance, while 27% said they would like to see the benefits stay the same.
- 25% of Republicans said the government should increase unemployment insurance, while 42% said it should stay the same.
- 36% of independents believed the government should increase the benefits and that there shouldn’t be any change, respectively, and only 11% said they should be cut back.
Methodology: This poll was conducted June 12-14 among 1,987 registered voters and has a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.