Unemployment benefits: Biden administration unable to continue $300 weekly jobless payments that GOP governors are

The enhanced payments — which Congress first approved in its massive coronavirus relief plan in March 2020 and twice extended — are keeping Americans from returning to the labor market, the governors say. At least four states will offer return-to-work bonuses instead.

In addition to providing the $300 weekly supplement, lawmakers expanded benefits to freelancers, the self-employed, independent contractors and certain people affected by the pandemic and extended the duration of payments for those in the regular state unemployment program.

Those collecting regular state benefits, which typically last 26 weeks, will continue to receive those payments but will not get the $300 boost. However, those in the other two programs — the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs — will lose all their benefits.

The Labor Department is likely to release a letter on Friday outlining how the federal government is unable to counter the decisions by the Republican governors, the administration official said. The letter is a response to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and a labor advocacy group, both of which have urged the Biden administration to keep offering the benefits.

Sanders on Thursday sent a letter to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh asking him to commit to holding states accountable for their role in administering the benefits.

“The people who claim Americans won’t work even if they find a good and fair opportunity underestimate the American people,” he said.