As Americans approach the first anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic, it’s worth looking at how the U.S. government’s economic response has fared.
Government checks have been crucial in reaching struggling families, including many who have received no other form of relief. But the scale of the crisis, particularly for people of color, demands additional direct payments. Tying the duration of aid to the strength of the jobs market would give greater certainty to all, while ensuring that Black, Latinx, and Indigenous families in dire need don’t lose support prematurely due to Washington gridlock. Linking this support to the combined unemployment rate for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx workers would go even further to boost racial equity, similar to what has been proposed for the Federal Reserve.
Read: Congress is staring down an unemployment cliff for 11 million workers — if lawmakers don’t extend COVID-19 relief programs
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