House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that while it’s essential that Republicans and Democrats come to an agreement soon on a stimulus package, it’s imperative to keep the expanded federal unemployment insurance while the jobless rate remains high.
“If the unemployment goes down, then that number can go down,” Pelosi said Aug. 3 in a televised interview, referring to the $600-per-week extra benefit that expired late last month. It was authorized in the CARES Act, passed in March, to offset joblessness incurred during the pandemic lockdowns.
