A number of Republican U.S. representatives, including Congressman Doug Collins of Gainesville, have asked House and Senate leadership to allow supplemental unemployment benefits to end in July as outlined in the CARES Act.
The representatives drafted a letter outlining their concerns with extending the $600 payments, citing a negative impact on businesses that are reopening with the easing of coronavirus cases across the nation.
Ina press statement, Collins said because of the unemployment increase included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, many employers are finding their employees do not want to return to work, since they are receiving more in unemployment than they were in regular wages.
"At this critical point in reopening, our economy and our business owners cannot afford to have their employees earning a substantial income from their fellow taxpayers,” the letter said. "Small businesses receiving loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) are especially harmed if they cannot provide competitive wages and persuade their employees to return to work within the allotted time frame for PPP forgiveness."
“The supplemental UI was intended to be a lifeline for those whose employer was unable to retain them, not set individuals on a path to continued reliance on government assistance," they continued. “If these benefits are extended, it would only reinforce and deepen the structural issues and rampant abuse of our public assistance programs that existed prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.”
Other Georgia representatives who signed the letter were Buddy Carter (1st District), Austin Scott (8th District), Jody Hice (10th District) and Barry Loudermilk (11th District).
