Lincoln, Neb. — The Biden administration’s plan to funnel more coronavirus aid into states with greater unemployment has irked governors with lower jobless rates, even though many have economies that weren’t hit as hard by the pandemic.
The $1.9 trillion relief bill working its way through Congress allocates extra money to larger, mostly Democratic-run states with higher unemployment rates. Rural Midwestern and Southern states that tend to have Republican governors and better jobless numbers would benefit less.
The White House is defending its distribution plan. It says the plan targets money to areas where it will have the biggest impact.
