Ted Cruz (Republican from Texas) asks a question at the confirmation hearing of Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Cruz tweeted, "Um. Get a job?" In response to the news that Americans without jobs had lost their unemployment benefits, Cruz tweeted "Um, get a job?"
Twitter users criticised Cruz's insensitivity and lack of understanding.
When three federal pandemic aid programs ended, it is believed that more than 750,000 Americans were affected.
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Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, reacted to the news that millions of Americans had lost their unemployment benefits on Labor Day. He advised those in need to "get a work"
Cruz tweeted Monday night to share an article from ABC News that had the headline "Jobless Americans don't have many options for benefits expiring"
"Um, find a job!" Cruz tweeted the following. Cruz wrote in his tweet: "There are millions upon millions of vacancies and small businesses across America are desperate for workers."
As of Monday, September 6, three federal unemployment-aid programs had ended. These programs include the Pandemic Emergency Jobless Compensation program, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, and a program that paid $300 per week for Federal Pandemic Emergency Compensation.
The programs were to be completed by Labor Day.
Cruz tweeted and critiqued the ABC article, which reported that relief efforts enabled Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic, to purchase essentials such as food, gas, rent, and enable them to pay their bills.
Andrew Stettner, a Senior Fellow at think tank The Century Foundation to ABC, stated that the end of the unemployment pandemic will provide a sudden jolt for millions of Americans who won’t find work in time for this arbitrary ending to assistance.
According to Insider's Juliana Kaplan, and Joseph Zeballos–Roig, it is believed that at least 7.5 Million Americans lost their unemployment benefits this weekend.
CNN reports that many Americans are left in the dark after their benefits run out. CNN interviewed April Stokes, a Detroit optician. She claimed she received $1152 per week in unemployment benefits, but her "lifeline", as they call it, disappeared over the weekend. Stokes is having difficulty finding work that allows her to be flexible with her children's schedules.
Stokes stated to CNN that the government does not leave us without options. "There are many single moms here who are panicking right now, and don't know how to proceed."
Business Insider has the original article.
