Genesee News

In a recent statement on Michigan House Republicans, Rep. Mike Mueller (R-Linden) praised Michigan workers who have stepped up during the COVID-19 crisis and challenged Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to address the economic problems that government restrictions have created.

Mueller noted the things that have already been accomplished by workers around the state in response to the crisis, from the production of ventilators on automotive production lines to health care workers putting in long shifts.

Yet Mueller said that Michigan's unemployment system needs fixed in order to keep up with the influx of applicants in the face of government shutdowns of businesses intended to lessen the impact of the novel coronavirus.

"Individuals report being locked out of the website, waiting on hold for hours on end, only to be hung up on, and being unable to submit a claim," Mueller said in a statement on Michigan House Republicans. "The agency is seeing a volume of claims like it’s never seen before, but after two weeks, we have yet to see any improvements. 

"People need to make ends meet, and the state has made it impossible to do so," he added.

ABC12 News reported that the situation hasn't been improved by the opening up of the unemployment system to self-employed and contract workers on April 13. By that point, approximately 1 million Michigan residents had already applied for unemployment, a number equivalent to 10% of the state's entire population. 

Traffic volume on the state's Unemployment Insurance Agency website has left many filers unable to log in.

Difficulties for claim filers have occurred despite the state's nearly quadrupling the staff in its unemployment claims call center from 130 to 500 employees.

Mueller said that Whitmer's response is not helping either.

"Lawn care services, greenhouses, construction firms, contractors and mechanic shops are just a few of the many industries that can easily operate without putting workers at risk," he told Michigan House Republicans. "These workers should be allowed to return to work."

Muller further called it a "double standard" that crews working on state projects continue to operate, while state restrictions make home repairs more difficult for private citizens.

"Our governor has called on the federal government for a more unified response, and now that they have issued guidelines on critical occupations, she refuses to adopt the federal CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] guidelines in her new executive order," Mueller said, according to Michigan House Republicans. 

"Michigan residents deserve to know why certain businesses are forced to close when they could safely operate, why the state’s unemployment filing system is failing when Michiganders need it most, and what her plans and time frame are for allowing people to return to work so they can support their families."