Jul 22, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Senate GOP, White House consider side deal to extend unemployment benefits

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Sen. Lamar Alexander. Photo: Al Drago/Pool/Getty Images

Senate Republicans and negotiators from the Trump administration are considering a short-term extension of supplemental unemployment benefits, which are set to expire on July 31, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) confirmed to reporters Wednesday.

Why it matters: A chaotic Senate Republican lunch on Tuesday revealed that the White House and GOP senators remain far apart on key priorities in the next economic package and that it's unlikely a bill will be passed by the end of next week.

The state of play: The $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed by Congress in March created an extra $600 per week in unemployment insurance, which has helped prop up an economy ravaged by coronavirus-related closures.

More than 32 million Americans are currently receiving some form of unemployment benefits, according to Labor Department data released last week.
Many Republicans have voiced concerns that the supplemental benefits have disincentivized people to return to work because the enhanced unemployment pays more than their wages.
The length and details of the possible extension being negotiated are not yet clear.

Worth noting: While extending the expanded unemployment benefits are a priority for congressional Democrats, there's no guarantee that they would agree to back a short-term fix without additional concessions from Republicans.

Go deeper: White House, Senate Republicans far apart on stimulus talks

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Senate GOP, White House consider side deal to extend unemployment benefits

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