Badger State residents are encouraged to email President Trump and demand action as vital aid is set to expire
MADISON, Wis. — As Wisconsin sees a surge in COVID-19 cases, indicating the crisis is far from over, Opportunity Wisconsin has unveiled a countdown clock highlighting the impending pandemic pay cut Wisconsin workers will soon face if President Trump fails to act to extend vital economic aid.
The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, created several provisions to combat the economic burdens caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Many of these vital provisions are set to expire in late July 2020, and President Trump has threatened to block their extension, leaving many unsure of how they’ll make ends meet come August.
“Right now, Wisconsinites are facing unprecedented unemployment, wage loss, sickness, and incredible financial uncertainty,” said Mark Westphal, Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member and President of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council. “Now is not the time to let these economic relief measures expire. Wisconsinites can’t take another pay cut during this pandemic.”
It’s been 126 days since President Trump said we’d soon have zero cases in the U.S. We now have 2.7 million cases and more than 130,000 deaths. Statewide, nearly 1 in 7 Wisconsin adults have filed for unemployment, more than 25,000 people are battling coronavirus, and at least 750 people have lost their battle to the disease.
This is what’s at stake if President Trump and Wisconsin’s Republicans let this vital aid expire:
Expiration of supplemental unemployment benefits
On July 31, 2020 an estimated 676,449 Wisconsinites will stop receiving supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 a week. For most Wisconsinites, that’s a $2,400 pay cut per month.
Moratorium on eviction for properties receiving federal aid expires
On July 25, the moratorium on evictions for properties receiving federal assistance is set to expire. An estimated 131,400 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing their homes.
Deferment of federal student loan payments will cease
On September 30, 2020, student loan borrowers will no longer be able to defer payments even if they’ve lost their income due to COVID-19. That means that 64% of Wisconsin's collegiate graduating class of 2018 will be forced further into debt.
This shouldn’t be a difficult decision for the president to make. Emergency benefits shouldn’t end until the emergency does. 75% of Americans agree and think Congress should extend emergency unemployment benefits. President Trump and his allies claim that they want to cut people’s unemployment benefits to force them back to work – but not only is that obscene during a pandemic, it also wouldn’t work. A recent study shows no evidence that cutting people’s benefits pushes them to go back on the job any sooner. It just hurts them, their families, and the overall economy.
Opportunity Wisconsin is calling on Badger State residents to take action in two ways:
Contact the White House: Email President Trump and demand that he extend the supplemental unemployment benefits that hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites need right now to survive.
Share Your Story: If you have been receiving supplemental unemployment benefits, what’s at stake if that aid stops arriving? Have you received any aid? How would you feel if the program expires before you get any aid?
President Trump is acting like the economic crisis is over now that Wall Street and big business got their bailouts, but if we let Wisconsin workers and families fall through the cracks, this economic recession will be far longer and deeper than it needs to be.
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About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.