WASHINGTON D.C. (NEXSTAR) – Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., says federal unemployment benefits are keeping countless workers off the job.  

“It’s not cause people are lazy, I am not accusing anyone of being lazy it’s because people are logical,” Sen. Rubio said Thursday.

Instead of working, Rubio said many in his state are making close to or more money from weekly unemployment benefits.

“Over and over and over again hearing that from small businesses, and in various sectors so not just restaurants and hotels,” Rubio said.

Rubio and a group of Republican senators said the benefits are hurting small businesses.

The group of 10 GOP Senators want to phase out federal benefits—by June, that’s three months before they are currently set to expire.

“The Biden Bucks are keeping people from going back to work,’ Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “the actual issues here are the pandemic.”

Psaki said the benefits aren’t hurting the economy and pointed to childcare as one factor holding people back.

“Millions of Americans through no fault of their own have been knocked flat on their back this past year,” President Biden said last week after the release of the April jobs report.

Biden had said the issue is not enough jobs and not enough that pay well.

Rubio said that is not the case in Florida.

“Because of the labor shortage most of these places are paying more than they ever paid before,” Rubio said.

President Joe Biden said this week that those getting unemployment benefits must accept suitable employment when it’s offered.