DeSantis to end federal unemployment program, saying Florida can't afford it
Trump speaks with DeSantis at Palm Beach International Airport, Florida, Sept. 8. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) plans to terminate a Trump program that supports unemployment benefits for out-of-work Floridians because the state's jobless program doesn't have the resources to qualify for the federal assistance, Politico reports.
Why it matters: Florida is among the first states to stop the program because of the cost. The state doesn't pay its unemployed workers enough to meet the 25% matching requirement, so people will lose out on an extra $300 a week made possible by President Trump's executive order, Politico notes.
The big picture: The move to scrap the federal assistance comes just eight weeks before the 2020 election. Trump's re-election path has to go through Florida, Axios White House editor Margaret Talev writes.
The state of play: DeSantis said last week that Florida didn't have the "capacity" to accept the $300 payments from the Trump administration.
- The program requires that states spend at least $100 per person per week on its own jobless benefits to qualify, Politico writes.
- Florida has one of the weakest unemployment programs in the U.S.
What to watch: DeSantis is expected to put roughly $6 billion worth of CARES Act money that Congress sent to Florida toward the state’s COVID-19 response and fill in the budget.