I’ve been laid-off three times in my life and it is so terrifying to not know how you will be able to provide for yourself or your family.

Article from Ian Swanson from The Hill

‘Millions of people will lose federal unemployment benefits on Saturday as a result of the standoff between Congress and President Trump over the COVID-19 relief measure passed by the House and Senate this week.

Twelve million people will lose benefits through two programs set up under legislation earlier this year in the initial response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an estimate by The Century Foundation.

One program set to expire provided benefits to gig workers and other people not eligible for traditional unemployment, while another program set to expire provided 100 percent federal funding for benefits for people who are long-term unemployed.

The Century Foundation estimates that 7.3 million people who benefited from the first program for gig and other workers not covered by regular unemployment will lose their benefits Saturday. Nearly 1 million more will lose the help before December ends.

In a surprise, President Trump announced after the bill's passage that he opposed the measure. He criticized direct payments included in the COVID-19 relief package as too stingy, arguing the $600 payments should be raised to $2,000.

Most Republicans in Congress had opposed the higher payments, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, negotiating for Trump, had signed off on the measure with the $600 direct payments.’