Press Releases

SPRINGFIELD, MA – Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) July 2020 jobs report:

“As the President continues to fail to contain the virus, our economy posted another month of lagging jobs numbers. Unemployment remains above the highest peak during the Great Recession, and we’ve seen no decline in joblessness for Black Americans.  

“Last month’s numbers also disprove a favored Republican talking point – receiving unemployment benefits does not discourage Americans from returning to work when they’re called back to the job, despite the health risks. But due to GOP inaction, those workers who remain unemployed without any viable job prospects now lack the vital emergency assistance that allowed them to keep their homes and afford food while waiting to resume their careers. The pandemic rages on, and suffering has worsened for the most vulnerable in our society.”

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