According to ABC News, millions of jobless Americans that lost their unemployment benefits on Monday have nowhere to go and no solution to their problems.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-T.X.) replied with a simple solution.
“Um, get a job?”
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Two federal unemployment programs expired on Monday. One provided jobless aid to self-employed and gig workers and another provided benefits to those who have been unemployed more than six months. Further, the Biden administration’s $300 weekly supplemental unemployment benefit also ran out on Monday.
It’s estimated that roughly 8.9 million Americans will lose all or some of these benefits.
It’s also estimated that there are approximately 10 million open jobs in the United States.
Um, get a job?
There are millions of vacancies, and small businesses across the Nation are desperate for workers. https://t.co/0ejI45Ja6I
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 7, 2021
While the White House has encouraged states to keep paying the $300 weekly benefit by using money from the stimulus bills, no states have opted to do so. Many states even opted out of the federal program early after some businesses complained that they couldn’t find enough people to hire.
The amount of money injected by the federal government into jobless benefits since the pandemic began is nothing short of astronomical. The roughly $650 billion, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, kept millions of Americans who lost their jobs in the pandemic afloat. The banking industry has largely attributed the few defaults on loans this past 18 months to the government relief efforts.
But as the economy struggles to recover, critics say it’s time for jobless Americans to get back to work.
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While the federal eviction moratorium has expired, roughly a dozen states — all controlled by Democrats — have extended their moratoriums, including California, New York, Washington, Illinois, and Minnesota. New York’s eviction moratorium was extended until Jan. 15.
Those unemployed less than six months will still be able to collect their normal benefits, but the amount will fall back to the standard level that each state pays. The average weekly check is roughly $387, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, but varies greatly state by state.
The Associated Press contributed to this article