Senator Joe Manchin stated that he wouldn't support a renewal federal aid program for gig workers or long-term unemployed.He told Insider, "I'm done extending," "The economy is returning."His opposition would effectively end the extension of programs that were due to expire on Labor Day.10 Things in Politics: Get the latest news in politics and economics Loading... Click Sign up to receive marketing emails and other offers from Insider.Senator Joe Manchin, West Virginia, indicated Saturday that he wouldn't support including federal aid for gig workers or long-term unemployed Americans beyond Labor Day in a Democrat only package.He told Insider, "I'm done extending," "The economy is returning."Manchin continued: "Look guys. Read your own print. You can read your own print. The economy is stronger, and the job market is better. We can't fill nine million jobs. We are coming back."Because all 50 Senate Democrats must support the party-line bill to get it through the upper chamber, West Virginia's senator would effectively block the renewal of federal aid programs. The initial bill is being drafted by Democrats, and will be passed through reconciliation. This process requires only a simple majority vote.A pair of federal pandemic-era federal programs currently provide benefits to nearly 9.4 million people. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) expanded eligibility for gig workers and increased benefit eligibility. Pandemic Extended unemployment compensation (PEUC), which extended the time recipients could receive benefits, was also introduced. A $300 weekly federal unemployment supplement is available to jobless workers.These measures were extended by President Joe Biden's stimulus bill, but they will expire on Sept. 6. Andrew Stettner, a left-leaning Century Foundation researcher, estimated that 7.5 Million people would lose all of their jobless assistance if Congress did not step in.As the economy has regained employment and people return to work, the number of unemployment claims has been steadily falling. In a sign that the economy is recovering after the devastating effects of the pandemic, 385,000 new jobless claims fell last week. According to the latest jobs report, the US gained 943,000 new jobs in July according to Friday's data.Experts are concerned that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is causing a surge in unemployment could harm the recovery. Jason Furman, an economist who was previously a top advisor to Barack Obama, stated in a recent interview that his support for extending the programs beyond Sept. 6, and "grandfathering” current recipients.Furman, a Harvard professor, stated that he would consider expanding the programs and making them dependent on hospitalizations and caseload.Others Democrats support extending these programs, such as Ron Wyden, Oregon's Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. He told Insider that he was ready to go "all the way" on Friday. "We're going to fill the immediate gaps for gig workers and other."
