Porter statement on federal unemployment benefits
INDIANAPOLIS – State Representative Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) today released the following commentary in light of recent news on federal unemployment benefits. A judge recently put a temporary stop to Governor Eric Holcomb's decision ending the state's participation in federal unemployment insurance programs that provide an additional $300 per week to unemployed Hoosiers. Porter urges Indiana Republicans to reconsider their approach and offers an alternative for those hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Governor Holcomb should channel his time and energy into delivering solutions for working class people instead of cutting them off at the knees,” Porter said. “It is incomprehensible to opt out of federal unemployment insurance programs that have served as a lifeline to Hoosiers hit hardest by the pandemic. Indiana is an outlier among our neighboring states who have retained several federal unemployment programs including the $300 supplemental payment but also the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program for those who are self-employed and independent contractors.
“In ending these vital programs early Indiana even neglected to adopt a minimal program to incentivize workers to rejoin the workforce.”
Porter suggests an alternative offered by other states that pays out a one-time bonus to those individuals who have found gainful employment. The Ranking Democrat on the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee points to an ever-expanding surplus and countless unspent stimulus dollars as a means to incentivize and revitalize the Hoosier economy.
“Both red and blue states alike have initiated one-time bonus payments to those who could find employment and lessen the blow to those who continue to struggle as the economy recovers,” Porter said. “Indiana could have been much more thoughtful in implementing a similar program or even providing temporary transportation assistance or targeted child care.”
Porter's methodology has been backed by a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce study that found nearly four in 10 (39%) unemployed Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic and are not actively looking for work say that a $1,000 hiring bonus would increase their urgency to return to full-time employment.
“I am urging the Indiana GOP to prioritize our state's working families,” Porter added.