Torres: Expanded Unemployment Benefits Must Continue
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today urged Senate Republicans to quickly extend the expanded unemployment benefits that were passed in the Coronavirus Aide, Relief and Economic Stability (CARES) Act. Those benefits are set to expire at the end of this month, ending a vital lifeline for millions of people and requiring cash-strapped Americans to begin paying rent again immediately.
Torres led the call to expand unemployment insurance to include contract employees and gig economy workers as part of the CARES Act. Her efforts came as the Inland Empire's logistics industry, which relies heavily on contract and gig economy workers, saw heavy job losses from the economic downturn.
Rep. Torres released the following statement:
"For people in the Inland Empire and across the country, expanded unemployment insurance from the CARES Act has saved them from facing the threats of COVID without the security of a home or the dignity of a meal," Rep. Torres said. "We are just weeks away from that safety net evaporating for millions of people across this country, and the consequences would be absolutely catastrophic."
On May 15th, Congress voted to extend unemployment benefits through January 2020 as part of the Heroes Act. Since then, Senate Republicans have refused to consider the legislation, and President Trump has issued a veto threat if it ever reached his desk.
"The House did its part when we passed the Heroes Act, but we cannot deliver this vital support without willing partners in the Senate and White House," Rep. Torres continued. "At a moment when the American people are sheltering against a global pandemic, we can't afford for the federal government to just walk away in the middle of the fight."
Passed by Congress at the end of March, the CARES Act included $260 billion to dramatically expand unemployment benefits, including an additional $600 per week for four weeks, an additional 13 weeks of federally funded benefits, as well as the expanded eligibility that Rep. Torres negotiated.
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