Senate Finds a Unanimous Moment Over Unemployment

As the Senate continues its voting marathon related to the "big beautiful bill," the New York Times points out one moment of bipartisanship that emerged overnight: The chamber voted unanimously to end unemployment benefits for those who were making $1 million or more in the year before they lost their jobs. The amendment's sponsor, GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, referred to the beneficiaries as "freeloading fat cats" and previously made the case to cut their benefits, per Financial Regulation News.

In 2022, her office said in a release, nearly 6,000 such people collected more than $57 million in jobless benefits, or about $10,000 apiece. "Able-bodied millionaires shouldn't expect handouts made possible by the overtaxed and overworked Americans who are running businesses and creating jobs," Ernst wrote.