Daines Takes Long Weekend As Boosted Unemployment Benefits Expire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 31, 2020

Daines Takes Long Weekend As Boosted Unemployment Benefits Expire

Helena, MT – Expanded unemployment benefits – which serve as a critical lifeline for Montanans out of work during the pandemic – expire today. Where are Senator Steve Daines and his Republican colleagues? They decided to take a long weekend instead of extending needed relief for working families. If that wasn’t shameful enough, they introduced a proposal that would slash these benefits which could result in “nearly 1 million extra job losses” across the country.

Rather than delivering results for Montanans, Steve Daines is choosing instead to play politics.

All throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Daines has let Montanans down. In April, Daines voted to cap unemployment insurance, but after Democrats succeeded in expanding the benefits, he was repeatedly caught dishonestly bragging about the policy he had opposed. Instead, Daines has been looking out for his big-business allies – pushing for a corporate slush fund without strong protections, and helping Republicans slip a massive tax giveaway for the wealthy into a relief package.

“While Daines is taking a weekend off, thousands of Montanans are struggling to figure out how to pay their bills,” said MDP Communications Advisor Christina Wilkes. “Daines is showing yet again that he’d rather fall in line behind Mitch McConnell than do what’s right for people here in Montana.”

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