SMH.
Washington (CNN)Leaders in the House and Senate reached an agreement late Sunday on a $900 billion pandemic relief bill that includes enhanced unemployment benefits and direct cash payments.
There were several changes made from a proposal put forward nearly two weeks ago by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Direct stimulus checks were brought in at the last minute. Direct aid to states and liability protections for companies were left out.If the new bill passes, it will be the second-largest federal stimulus package after the $2 trillion CARES Act that Congress approved in March.
As far as I can tell, nobody likes or appreciates this. Fiscal hawks (me) thinks it spends too much money that we don’t have. Liberals think it doesn’t go nearly far enough and want to pass something even larger when Biden assumes office. People are laughing at the $600 check because it’s what rich people think poor people think is a lot of money (stole that from somewhere). Businesses dislike the extra unemployment payments because it’s hard to find workers right now.
Sometimes politicians like to glibly say that the fact that nobody is happy is the sign of a compromise bill, but in this case, nobody is happy because it’s a bad bill.
So why pass it?
Follow the money. Look at all of those billions of dollars flowing into the pockets of businesses, schools, unions, welfare programs, etc. Who decides who gets all of that money? How much will flow into the pockets of politically-connected people and interest groups?
This is bad governance designed to allow politicians to pretend that they are good at their jobs. They are not. I hope Trump vetoes this.
Owen,
I think your analysis here is mostly correct, except I disagree with you when you say “This is bad governance designed to allow politicians to pretend that they are good at their jobs.”.
Nobody thinks it makes them look good at their jobs. The people in charge are just trying to keep things afloat. I heard somewhere that something like a third of people have or will be defaulting on their rent/mortgage within two months. I think the thought is toss out some money to keep things afloat until Biden gets into office.
I do wonder what they think the Biden administration will do. They are not fixing the problem by tossing out money and each time they do they create more debt, which means that unless they do think of something, it will be that much worse when it all finally comes down.
If Trump vetoes it, it will be because it doesn’t spend nearly enough. He wanted $2000 checks cut.
Fact
$33 million going to Venezuela for some reason
$83 million to Cambodia for some reason
$135 million to Burma for some reason
$700 million to Sudan for some reason
$35 million to Pakistan for democracy and gender “programs”
$193 million for aids workers abroad to buy cars.
Locally, the Kennedy Center gets another another $40 mill.
Yay, G’vment!
I think that is unfair to Trump. 159 million people getting $2000 each equals 318 billion out of a 900 billion dollar stimulus supposedly designed to get money to the people in need. He wants them to cut some fat from the package and that is why he will/should veto it.
Nord is probably going “gender studies in Pakistan, yeah!”
Liberals put these ridiculous things in, not conservatives.
No k, not at all. You are making stuff up again…