This is related to my previous post.
The current bill has been modified to extend benefits in all states. For a federal bill, this seems to make more sense than saying that benefits extend in California but not Arkansas. More people would use the benefit in California, but it’s a swift kick in the happy sack for the guy in Arkansas who watches his benefits expire before he gets a job. The current bill does provide additional extensions in some states, so the argument still applies a little. Remember, this isn’t sending aid to the people who most need it, it’s sending aid to the states with the highest percentage of people who most need it (and even then, it’s not using the best metric). Since there’s no additional infrastructure costs to simply target those in need, this can only be explained politically.
