The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Thursday that the $300 weekly unemployment claims would be extended.

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President Donald Trump signed and issued an executive order last month that extended the weekly unemployment benefits through the unspent fund of FEMA. Qualified individuals were able to receive $300 while other states add $100 to make it $400. 

On Thursday, the same day that the Democrats rejected the Republican-led proposed targeted bill, FEMA announced that the $300 weekly unemployment benefits would be extended.

Unemployed individuals will now receive their jobless aid for up to six weeks of benefits. This means that those who filed for unemployment claims will have another three weeks, doubling the first benefit.

An unemployed individual could receive a total amount of $1,800 under Trump's Lost Wages Assistance plan rather than $900. 

Trump earlier said he wanted to give additional money to struggling Americans. The President seems to know that his administration's proposal for a new relief aid bill might be rejected for political purposes. If the Democratic party members approved the bill, it would bolster Trump's reelection bid.

According to UnemploymentPUA.com, which tracks the jobless benefits, 17 states have already distributed the benefits. FEMA further noted that 48 states, as well as Guam and the District of Columbia, had been approved for the payments.

South Dakota has declined to accept the funds, with its governor saying that most of the jobs lost during the pandemic have been recovered. 

Trump has said that the country's economy is slowly recovering. During an interview with FOX News, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnanny said the country's economy outpaces other neighboring countries' economies. She also touted that millions of jobs were even created amid the pandemic. 

Meanwhile, FEMA said it has already distributed $30 billion under the Lost Wages Assistance plan. The agency still has $14 billion left, which will also be distributed to the states who are not yet applying for the benefits. 

On Thursday, FEMA also announced that Sept. 10 is the final day for states and territories to apply for Trump's weekly unemployment benefit. It is also important to note that there are states that have been approved, but they did not yet send out the unemployment claims. 

"Regardless of where the states and territories are in their process to receive and distribute the FEMA funding, FEMA will fund six weeks in $300 supplemental unemployment benefits to every state and territory that has applied for this assistance by Sept. 10," an agency spokesperson told a news outlet via en email.

The Labor Department, on the other hand, said on Thursday that around 857,000 workers filed their first unemployment aid in the week ending Sept. 5. An increase of 20,000 workers from a week before. This means that more workers are applying for the benefits. 

The Democrats' rejection of the GOP's proposed targeted bill, reportedly due to political reasons, is designed to help millions of Americans until the end of the year. However, Senate Democrats still blocked the bill.

The Trump administration is now planning for more executive actions to make sure that Americans have resources to meet their daily needs.  

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