Wisconsin Democrats posted a video on TikTok and Twitter on Friday celebrating the distribution of the latest U.S. government $1,400 stimulus check even as the latest federal jobs report disappointed many experts.
The state’s Democrats asked people to take a video of themselves doing the ”Stimmy Shimmy” celebrating the latest federal $1,400 stimulus checks going into their bank accounts.
The upbeat dance video, which included the hashtag ”AmericanRescuePlan” and a thank-you to ”@POTUS” (President Joe Biden), was published the same day as the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report, which showed little change in the number of unemployed people since April.
The Wisconsin Democrats’ official Twitter account deleted the video Friday evening, Twitchy.com reported.
According to the BLS report, 9.8 million people were unemployed in April, a 6.1 percent rate, and the economy created a net 266,000 jobs in April, down from 536,000 in February and 770,000 in March.
While the report shows an increase of 331,000 jobs in the hospitality and leisure sectors, it was offset by losses in the temporary help, couriers, and messengers’ sector, which some say is more of a harbinger of economic growth.
According to a Reuters article, Republicans blame the lackluster report on overly generous federal and state unemployment benefits that are stopping workers from returning to available jobs that pay less than the benefits.
“The government pays people big bucks NOT to work so they don’t!” the article said Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., tweeted. “Duh! Socialism seems nice but in fact is destructive. America: learn or lose!”
Two Republican states, South Carolina and Montana, are curtailing federal unemployment benefits next month to try to force people back into the labor market and fill a glut of available jobs, the article said.
In the article, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., called the benefits ”socialist” and said the small businesses in her district could not find enough workers to meet the demand.
Democrats, on the other hand, blame the private sector for not raising wages or providing incentives such as subsidized child care to persuade people to go back to work, according to the article.
“Wages have not risen yet and part of the reason people aren’t getting back in is that wages haven’t adjusted,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
Khanna is one of several progressive Democrats pushing for a $15 hourly federal minimum wage.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the jobs report is further evidence that Congress needs to pass Biden’s about $4 trillion infrastructure plan, which includes money for education ”and other priorities.”
“The disappointing April jobs report highlights the urgent need to pass President Biden’s American Jobs and Families Plans,” she said in a statement.
Source: Newmax
