The White House Chief of Staff promised to take this into account in developing a new plan in this area.
The U.S. administration and Republican senators believe that the package of measures adopted in March to stimulate the U.S. economy in light of the pandemic implied too large payments to citizens, this was taken into account in the development of a new plan in this area. This was announced on Sunday by the White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, on the air of ABC TV channel.
Congress condemned Trump for worsening the pandemic situation.
“Initial unemployment benefits basically assumed that people were paid to sit at home. In fact, many people were paid more when they sat at home than when they returned to work. In that regard, the president and the Republican senators made it clear that we will not extend those provisions”, – Meadows said.
American leader Donald Trump at the end of March signed a law on economic stimulus measures worth more than $2 trillion, aimed at overcoming the consequences of the proliferation of the new coronavirus. This initiative, in particular, provided for a one-time payment of about $1.2 thousand per person. In addition, funding was provided to allow state authorities to increase weekly unemployment benefits by $600. The next package of incentive measures will be completed in late July. The Republicans are expected to present a new plan on Monday, which they agreed with the Trump administration.
As Meadows explained, the U.S. administration did not consider it expedient for the Americans to continue receiving a $600 increase in weekly unemployment benefits. Instead, the new plan proposes to provide Americans with about 70% of what they were paid before the pandemic prevented them from working.
The head of the National Economic Council of the White House, Lawrence Kudlow, said on Sunday on CNN that excessive payments to citizens make it difficult to restore business.
“We have received a lot of requests, phone calls and complaints that small shops and restaurants can not reemploy people”, – said the adviser to the American leader.
Speaking of earlier measures, he said, – “Maybe in March it was necessary, but the real consequence was that people are not returning to work. “We want people to go back to work”, – he said. Kudlow noted that the new plan also includes a lump sum payment of $1.2 thousand per person, as well as a number of other measures.