Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday opened the Senate floor with a speech blaming poor job creation data on the new round of jobless benefits that Democrats approved earlier this year.
The Kentucky Republican said business owners he met with back home over the district work period said they were having trouble hiring people.
“Almost every employer I spoke with specifically mentioned the extra-generous jobless benefits as a key force holding back our recovery,” McConnell said.
President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package in March. It included $300 in enhanced weekly unemployment pay that does not expire until nearly September.
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The April Jobs report fell far short of expectations, showing that only 266,000 jobs created.
McConnell said the federal government is providing an incentive for workers to remain home.
“There are millions of jobs open, ‘help wanted’ signs from coast to coast,” McConnell said. “We should not still be taxing the Americans who are working to find continued extra benefits for those staying home.”
Democrats quickly rejected McConnell’s claim.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, came to the Senate floor after McConnell and said people are not returning to work for a variety of reasons, including a fear of the virus.
“[It] isn’t because they are lazy,” Durbin said. “People remain afraid of this coronavirus. They lack adequate, affordable childcare and maybe are caring for older family members or dealing with a personal health condition. That’s the reality of life and families and particularly struggling working families. Taking away the enhanced unemployment benefits they need to feed their kids and pay their rent or mortgage does nothing to change that reality, except make it worse.”
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Durbin called the April jobs report “a ringing endorsement,” of the coronavirus aid package.
