1/ Moments ago, South Carolina's two U.S. Senators @LindseyGrahamSC and @SenatorTimScott were among four senators who raised concerns they have about the current coronavirus emergency funding package. Here's the highlights:
@LindseyGrahamSC @SenatorTimScott 2/ Who held the press conference:
- Graham, R-SC
- Scott, R-SC
- Sasse, R-NE
- Scott, R-FL
- Graham, R-SC
- Scott, R-SC
- Sasse, R-NE
- Scott, R-FL
@LindseyGrahamSC @SenatorTimScott 3/ What is the concern?
They worry the coronairus package as it currently stands creates a strong incentive for employees to be laid off and seek unemployment benefits instead of going to work.
They worry the coronairus package as it currently stands creates a strong incentive for employees to be laid off and seek unemployment benefits instead of going to work.
4/ Here's the example U.S. Sen. Tim Scott gave in presser with very SC-centric concerns: In SC, max unemployment is $326 a week. Under the current legislation, they would get an additional $600. So, max unemployment benefits of $929 a week.
5/ "We cannot encourage people to make more money in unemployment than they do in employment," @SenatorTimScott said. The concern is that the bill would allow people to make more than their current salaries by seeking unemployment.
6/ The senators are calling this a "drafting error" aka not something that was done intentionally. But @LindseyGrahamSC hinted that true intentions will be shown in an hour if Democrats don't agree an amendment to rectify this is needed.
7/ "I think we’ve done absolutely the worst thing we could do to stabilize the economy. We have incentivized people not to go back to work," Graham said of the bill as it is currently written.
8/ Going deeper and reading between the lines here: The Republican senators worry the bill as currently written could incentivize essential workers, like nurses, grocery store employees and others, to seek unemployment rather than continue working when they are most needed.
9/ More context here re: wages talk: The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and has not changed since 2009. South Carolina is unlike most other states, which already have adopted a state minimum wage higher than the $7.25 per hour federal minimum.
10/ So what happens now? The Senators say they want an amendment that would put a cap on unemployment benefits that would make sure those seeking unemployment benefits are not paid more than their current salary. Senators say they will know more in an hour.
11/ Asked when the error was noticed, Sasse said it came up during a 92-minute Republican conference call this morning. Graham said he chimed in on that call and asked about it.
