It's not a bug but a feature! It wasn't just that the policy debating was rushed (it was), but it was also that precisely calculating how much you "should" earn

It's not a bug but a feature! It wasn't just that the policy debating was rushed (it was), but it was also that precisely calculating how much you "should" earn is actually a really hard thing to do. Do you use this years tax return? What if they haven't filed it yet? Maybe last years? Well what about tipped income? What about seasonal workers? What about people who do not typically qualify for unemployment? etc etc etc. Frankly, it's just easier (from as administrative stance) to sorta throw money at the problem, and sorta hope it all washes out in the end. And since many states are reimposing shut down, it seems prudent to extend enhanced UI for the time being (at least until we're able to safely reopen). People like to bash against the US for "only" giving a one time payment of $1,200, but to ignore enhanced UI as part of the stimulus is intellectually dishonest. Will this policy cost us? Sure it will! It will likely mean higher taxes (and not just on wealthy people, but certainly they're the place to start) to maintain a stable GDP/debt ratio in the future. But the cost of not doing so and tanking the US economy is almost certainly worth it.