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Poverty's high costs

Florida Politics / June 1, 2020

No agreement on a coronavirus aid package seems likely in the next few days. With the $600 unemployment boost above state benefits now expired, both sides are latching on to this to bash the other.

Publicly, Democrats are totally ignoring the Heals Act introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that directs $1 trillion toward small business loans, funds for safely reopening schools, another round of stimulus checks and a formula for calculating unemployment benefits beginning at $200 per week.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is negotiating with Democrats and fighting off unhappy Republicans. Image via Bloomberg.

Miami Gardens Democrat Frederica Wilson says that can have dire consequences. In a video produced by her office, Wilson said the Republican proposal to cut the $600 benefit will lead to food insecurity and a greater reliance on EBT benefits and food banks. It also claims crime will likely rise among the most desperate.

"Poverty causes desperate people to take desperate measures to survive, INCLUDING COMMITTING CRIMES," she said. "The GOP-led Senate's refusal to pass the #HeroesAct will force already desperate people to sink even deeper into poverty and do what they must to survive."

The House passed the $3 trillion Heroes Act in May which contains some of the provisions of the Senate bill, but also had hundreds of billions for state and local governments and the full $600 unemployment benefit, among other things.

A Republican proposal on July 31 to extend the unemployment benefit for one week was rejected by Democrats, who argue the Senate should take up the $3 Heroes Act. Senate Republicans are divided on the size of their bill, but House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said last week, "Look, it's not $600 or bust …"

Meanwhile, real people are in their first week receiving nothing in unemployment from the federal government that told them they had to stop working.