NASHVILLE—Democratic Caucus leaders in State Legislature condemned the decision today by Gov. Bill Lee to end all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs in Tennessee, effective July 3.
Sen. Raumesh Akbari, chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, said:
“More than 200,000 Tennesseans have been laid off since Jan. 1 and the Lee administration just made the irresponsible decision to punish their families in a time of need. That’s not leadership, it’s legislative violence. This callous decision highlights just how out of touch this administration is with the lives of everyday Tennesseans.”
Rep. Vincent Dixie, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said:
“It’s difficult to describe this decision as anything other than ‘heartless.’ First, we cut the number of weeks that Tennesseans can collect unemployment and then we literally take money out of their pockets from a system they paid into. It’s a targeted, heartless assault on people who are simply trying to feed their families at the worst possible time.”
