There are a lot of holes in the traditional unemployment insurance system and providing a supplement to only people receiving traditional UI would leave a lot of people out, especially low-wage workers and workers of color.

But Congress smartly created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program for workers such as independent contractors or those without much earnings. And it gave them the same $600 supplement as traditional UI recipients. This made support through UI *much* more inclusive.

Checks are a great way to take care of the millions who still fall through these cracks, even after PUA. I hope a final deal includes them as a *complement* to a UI supplement. Some people who don't need them get them, but stimulating extra demand (now or later) isn't a bad thing

But unless you're going to provide $2,000 monthly checks, unemployed workers need the UI supplement or else they won't get anything like full income replacement when it's illegal/unsafe for many of them to work.

Mnuchin isn't offering a $2,000 monthly check. He's offering a $600 one-time check. That may help unemployed workers pay a bit back rent as they've gone five months without a supplement. But it's no replacement for a supplement to help the unemployed tread water until a vaccine.