CNN’s Dana Bash spars with Kudlow on White House unemployment plan: ‘We need a bit of a reality check here’

CNN’s Dana Bash sparred with White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Sunday over the temporary unemployment plan included in President Trump’s coronavirus executive orders, saying: “We need a bit of a reality check here.”

Bash questioned Kudlow on CNN’s “State of the Union” about the Trump order that commits $400 per week in temporary unemployment benefits, $100 of which the state would picks up. 

{mosads}Kudlow predicted that individuals, on average, will receive $800 from federal and state enhanced unemployment benefits each week. 

“But the executive action says 400 dollars and the state would pay 25 percent of this,” Bash replied. “You’re talking about some other money that I don’t know about.”

“We will stand ready to repurpose if states put in a little bit more,” the economic adviser replied.

.@DanaBashCNN presses WH economic adviser Larry Kudlow on President Trump’s latest executive order addressing federal unemployment benefits which says cash-strapped states must pay 25% of $400 unemployment or federal add-on benefit won’t kick in. https://t.co/1lMvW5sSVX #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/X489W0j16r

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) August 9, 2020

Bash continued by saying: “We need a bit of a reality check here. You do agree that the only way any of this could possibly happen is if the states actually ask for it and create a whole new system?”

The CNN host also pushed Kudlow on how the administration knows states have the money to provide $100 per week to each unemployed person.

“I think they’ll be able to make room,” he said. “Our estimates from the Treasury Department in terms of the CARES Act … is that the states have not spent all the money that was allocated to them.”

“Based on our estimates, the states will be able to provide the extra $100 and that will gross up the whole benefit to something on average of about $800,” he added.

Kudlow also said the White House will “probably find out today and tomorrow” which states and territories will be able to afford the payment.

“At the moment, we know the money – probably a good $80 [billion] to $100 billion – was not spent so we think that’s distributed across the 50 states should be ample,” he added. “We’ll find out the exact specifics today and tomorrow.”

–This report was updated at 11:12 a.m.