Burgum’s Decision to End Expanded Unemployment Benefits Has Been Vindicated
MINOT, N.D. — When Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, announced an end to North Dakota’s participation in a federally backed, pandemic-era expansion of unemployment benefits the rhetorical reaction from the Democratic-NPL was vehement.
And that’s putting it lightly.
Patrick Hart, the new chairman of the Democratic-NPL, described the move as “kicking people when they are down and treating them viciously.”
Sen. Tim Mathern, a Democrat from Fargo, was more temperate in his response, touting the economic stimulus of the federal government spending money it doesn’t have on unemployment benefits.
But we’re starting to see the real-world economic impacts of ending the federal “top off” unemployment benefit — which included an additional $300 per worker, per week, as well as a duration extension to 18 months — and so far they seem positive.
