Expanded unemployment benefits renewed as Trump has signed relief bill

Last updated on 2020-12-28

A downfall brought on largely by an indept government that has in nearly every sense possible failed the very people the government is supposed to represent. Tonight at the stroke of midnight, more than 20m Americans will lose their expanded unemployment benefits as part of the previously passed CARES Act. Those expanded unemployment benefits have largely been part of a larger lifeline to millions most of whom are now on the brink and collapse of quite literally every possible person’s worst nightmare.

With the unemployment benefits expiring; the fate of the bill uncertain, and the fact that rental and eviction protections also expire later next week — America has continued its extraordinary plummet downwards. A feat that it has largely achieved at nearly universal breakneck speed.

America mostly got to this point by a dual failure on both behalfs of the GOP and the Democratic party. Although — in the end the blame mostly became dead-centre at the feet of the GOP as they have repeatedly curtailed legislation passed by Democrats. Most recently, the House and the Senate however did manage to come to an agreement — only for that agreement to again by curtailed by the GOP only this time by Donald Trump himself. First — it was the larger spending bill itself that he vetoed. That veto came because Trump wants part of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act repealed, thus, also wants stimulus checks increased from $600 to $2,000.

Democrats have universally confirmed that they support the measure. However — GOPers do not and have curtailed every attempt to have those checks raised even though Trump is the one demanding such. The move has stalled the remains of the latest COVID-19 relief bill just days ahead of mass benefit expirations that start tonight. By 1 January 2021, millions more are expect to be on the brink of homelessness if a bill is not finalized and signed.

That same COVID-19 relief bill also included newly-renewed renter protections that would’ve shielded people from eviction for now. But after more than 9 months into the pandemic, millions of Americans are already so far in debt to their landlords there may not be a way out anytime soon. That alike other things can also be chalked up to failure on behalf of the government to extend a hand to its own people.

Even if Trump signs the bill (presumably at the last stroke of time here) there would be yet another delay for benefits to go out. It’s no secret that American government systems (even local ones) are antequated and deeply slow. So slow that could easily be compared the days of desktops and dial-up internet. It would be a week or two more following a signing before benefits would actually go out because states would have to update their systems once again. This perhaps should’ve been something states were working on weeks ago had Trump actually came to and signed the bill.

Meanwhile — the U.S government as a whole is scheduled to come to a screeching halt next week if a larger spending bill isn’t signed. A government shutdown; plus no relief to Americans, almost inevitably signals that America ‘s downward trajectory will spiral out of control come the new year.