These provisions would result in historic reductions of child poverty and provide timely income support for millions of people, including millions of essential workers.

When President Trump took office in January 2017, he inherited an economy in its 91st month of economic expansion following the end of the Great Recession in June 2009. That expansion continued into 2020, becoming the longest on record, but a sharp contraction in economic activity arising from COVID-19 ended it.

The strong benefits of the proposal far outweigh any potential reduction in employment.

Estimates of a realistic unemployment rate — one that includes people who are not looking for work for pandemic-related health or caregiving reasons — range from 8.3 percent to nearly 10 percent, far above the official 6.3 percent figure. Further relief measures are needed for a rapid and equitable recovery.

The federal-state unemployment insurance (UI) system helps many people who have lost their jobs by temporarily replacing part of their wages. (See “Policy Basics: Unemployment Insurance.”) Under...

SNAP is essential to helping low-income households put food on the table.

State fiscal conditions have improved since last fall but states still face unprecedented costs to address the immediate crisis, limit the long-term harm caused by the pandemic, and address...