Latest Senate GOP Relief Bill Fails North Carolina Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 8, 2020

Latest Senate GOP Relief Bill Fails North Carolina Families

GOP Bill Permanently Slashes Unemployment, Fails to Support Local Communities

Raleigh, N.C. - Today, Senate Republicans released a new version of a relief bill that continues to fail to meet the needs of North Carolinians who are suffering as a result of the on-going coronavirus pandemic. As part of their package, Senate Republicans are refusing to restore $600 weekly federal unemployment payments, instead permanently cutting those payments to $300. The bill also fails to provide any new support for state and local governments that are shouldering much of the cost of dealing with the pandemic while also seeing tax revenues severely decline.

“People are still dying and our economy is still suffering. This bill is an embarrassing response that Senator Tillis must reject,” said Piedmont Rising Executive Director Casey Wilkinson. “Refusing to fully extend federal $600 unemployment is an insult to North Carolinians who are out of work through no fault of their own and who are wondering how they will pay for housing, health care, and groceries. And failing to provide more aid for local communities will only make it more difficult for the state and localities to adequately respond to our on-going public health crisis. Rather than supporting half-baked solutions that are months late, Tillis must step up and pass a real relief bill for North Carolina families."

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