U.S. Senator Steve Daines has announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund approved $7,816,794 for the State of Montana to provide financial assistance to Montanans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows the $6,779,366distributed to the State of Montana last week.
“This critical funding will help the thousands of Montanans who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and give them the support they need to get through these tough times,” Daines said. “I will continue working alongside the Administration to ensure struggling Montanans have access to additional unemployment funds.”
Daines announced last month that the State of Montana would be accepting funds from the $44 billion President Trump made available through executive action in the Disaster Relief Fund.
Daines first suggested using funds from the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund at the beginning of the pandemic, calling on Senate leadership to expand and utilize Disaster Unemployment Assistance for workers impacted by COVID-19. Daines introduced the bipartisan Coronavirus Worker Relief Act, which would provide unemployment assistance through the Disaster Relief Fund to people who were unable to work due to the initial outbreak.
Additionally, in late March, Daines sent a letter urging Senate leadership to provide a robust expansion of unemployment insurance to support Montana workers who have been impacted by the pandemic, through no fault of their own.