WASHINGTON — During their vote on amendments to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” prior to its passage on Tuesday, the US Senate unanimously passed Iowa Senator Joni Ernst’s amendment that would end unemployment payments to jobless millionaires.
Ernst says there’s “too many idle rich people living high off the hog”, collecting government checks for not working while at the same time earning $1 million or more from a side venture. Ernst says that added up to a total of $271 million of unemployment assistance during the first two years of the Biden Administration. “Nearly 6,000 millionaires were paid almost $58 million in jobless benefits. That’s about $10,000 each for each millionaire to not work. The question is: why? Able-bodied millionaires shouldn’t expect handouts made possible by the overtaxed and overworked Americans. My amendment ends freebies for free-loading fat cats by disqualifying anyone making a million dollars or more from being eligible for unemployment income support.”
Ernst reminded her colleagues that they had approved the idea previously but it never got to the White House. “The Senate previously approved a similar proposal by a vote of 100 to zero that unfortunately never became a law. We can’t afford to miss this opportunity to save as much as $100 million by passing my amendment. So, let’s show some bipartisan unity for reducing the deficit by getting millionaires back to work.”
After the vote on the full bill, Ernst released a written statement saying the bill delivers on what Iowans voted for in November, keeping more money in hardworking folks’ pockets, real border security, and a safer America.
