For people asking about the insane & corrupt tax giveaways in the deal (ex. the “3 martini lunch” trash ) much of that gross stuff is actually the omnibus.
It’s a little confusing, but basically there’s 3 major components to the COVID deal:
1. Rule
2. Omnibus
3. COVID relief
What’s that? Basically the “deal” is centered on tying COVID relief to funding the gov(aka Omnibus).
They were tied together so pols who were against COVID relief (checks, SNAP, UI, etc) could trade for their horse write-offs etc in the Omni. Gross, no?
The dilemma many were dealing w/ was: bc these things were tied together, it made clean COVID relief impossible. You can largely thank Mitch for that. I’m not saying this is all 1 party but fr he’s awful.
The THIRD vote had the actual COVID relief: the too-little $600 checks, $300 in UI, SNAP,etc.
There were also some omnis tacked on, but less controversial. (I initially voted PRESENT on this bc this process is so F’d up, but then YES bc my families are so hungry. Wanted to )
Anyways, that’s a very loose breakdown (at least process-wise) of how it went down.
Process is important because it’s how pols get overwhelmingly corrupt and unpopular things into legislation. They can’t campaign on it, so many use process & obscure deals to sneak things in.
I’m in. Whaddya say, Mitch? Let’s not get bogged down with ideological offsets and unrelated items and just DO THIS! The American people deserve it. @senatemajldrhttps://t.co/L1b5rUkc7h
Amy Klobuchar just went on MSNBC to call raising the stimulus to $2,000 per person "an attack on every American" and suggests Congress override Trump's veto. pic.twitter.com/mEdDUY9dNu
That's great! I first introduced a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment with @SenKamalaHarris & @EdMarkey 7 months ago. Now, Mr. President, get Mitch McConnell and your Republican friends to stop opposing it and we can provide working class Americans with $2,000. Let's do it. https://t.co/fKvqBsqM0k
House Democrats responded to President Trump's call to increase stimulus payments to $2,000 per adult by saying they're ready to bring the measure to the floor by "unanimous consent" this week. https://t.co/ODFykiiDZJ
insightful liberal pundit chat on some things really going on here, big picture, including a squeeze on the GA Senate race:
McConnell and Senate R’s have gone to extreme lengths to avoid confronting Trump. But Trump is going to force the issue. He won’t stop until there’s an actual make or break moment.
Every question asked of the GA GOP senators tomorrow will be if they support Trump's $2k stimulus check...they'll have to dodge the question and that'll help the Dems in that race. This could be the moment that the democrats actually have a chance to win those races now.
I think some of you guys are giving Trump way too much credit for tactical decision making. He’s angry at McConnell and wanted to make his life difficult. There’s nothing else to it.
Honestly, I think he just wants to force GOPers to declare loyalty to Trump uber alles. He wants to know who puts Trump above everyone and everything else. This is a good way to force them to do that. “Me or McConnell? Make your stand.”
One funny thing is that Trump also released a 14-minute video ranting about the election being stolen from him and urging his supporters to rise up and demand it be un-stolen and it has barely registered.
"[A]dministration officials had negotiated the bill with lawmakers in the final days without explicitly securing Trump’s approval, aides said. He had largely been distracted with overturning the results of the presidential election."https://t.co/qcquB8ynTK
It's a terrible speech. Even if we assume his examples aren't spin they're demagoguery designed to appeal to his ignorant right wing base. Except for the aid to Egypt the rest of his examples of foreign aid are in the tens of millions. One billion is one thousand million. Again excepting the 3 billion to Egypt adding all his examples together you get maybe one billion, out of a 900 billion dollar bill. And likely most of that aid is to help those countries deal with the covid crisis. Putting aside humanitarian reasons to help these poor countries deal with an extraordinary and expensive crisis there are pragmatic reasons to help these countries to limit deaths to remain stable. This is especially true with the aid to central and south American countries where instability can affect us with radicals fomenting revolution to increased immigration and the spread of disease to the US.
eta: It's actually 1.3 billion aid to Egypt, not 3 billion. If we were to take all the money listed in Trump's speech and gave it to Americans each person would get about 7 dollars, so $607 instead of $600
And on things like arts and humanities that are being mentioned as "wasted", i.e Smithsonian, Kennedy Center. Would like to point out that while in the past that might have been a very valid argument (i.e., cut the subsidies it's a luxury we can't afford, they need to get by on much less.) right NOW it's totally different. Those kind of places don't get some money pronto, LOTS more people are going to lose their jobs. They are desperate, they've already laid off lots. If you think they shouldn't be subsidized, fine, but you better have other kind of jobs available or employees of such places are going to be on those food lines too. It's stimulus same as any other to be able to keep your job at the air & space museum, whether it's a janitor or a curator. A lot of these places are no different situation than restaurants, they are used to getting income from volume of visitors and they've either been closed or reduced 75%.
Useful counterpoints. Made me think right away: careful of the populist "chicken-in-every-pot" game:
The relief bill is actually good and the discourse around it has been a disgrace, underselling the good it will do and the harms that will come if it's not enacted. It's hardly "just $600." https://t.co/QqwxcHQpIl
Mr. President, sign the bill to keep government open! Urge McConnell and McCarthy to agree with the Democratic unanimous consent request for $2,000 direct payments! This can be done by noon on Christmas Eve!
Mitch McConnell has the power to be a real life Santa Clause - or Grinch - for tens of millions of Americans. Listen to the President Mitch. #StimulusChecks2000
House Democrats tried to quickly pass the relief bill by a unanimous consent request Thursday morning,l. House Republicans objected, instead, they tried to unanimously vote to revisit the foreign aid funding included in the omnibus bill, Democrats objected. Full vote on Dec. 28. pic.twitter.com/YwVPQYe7oe
House is blocked from taking up $2,000 direct payment checks because of House precedent constraining Hoyer’s request unless it has the clearance of “the Minority Leader.” GOP blocked from its propsoal to re-open State Apps bill because it needs the blessing of the majority
House Forma Session done for the day. Hoyer to hold press conference shortly on standoff with the President. House will try to approve $2,000 checks Monday. Bill likely goes before Rules Cmte Monday, then the flr. Watch to see how many GOPers align w/Trump in Monday vote
After Republicans block $2000 direct payments for covid relief as demanded by the president, @SpeakerPelosi says she will call House back to take recorded vote Monday Dec 28th. pic.twitter.com/EjMmwvrcRx
Comments
(NBC reporter on Congressional beat)
by artappraiser on Tue, 12/22/2020 - 9:06pm
as to Trump's video statement:
by artappraiser on Tue, 12/22/2020 - 9:10pm
Lindsey Graham and AOC:
by artappraiser on Tue, 12/22/2020 - 11:27pm
Chuck Schumer:
by artappraiser on Tue, 12/22/2020 - 11:58pm
but:
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 12:01am
Bernie Sanders:
edit to add: Ed Markey retweeted Bernie's tweet and added this one:
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 12:18am
we'll soon see whether "art" is right?
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 12:13am
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 12:23am
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 12:32am
insightful liberal pundit chat on some things really going on here, big picture, including a squeeze on the GA Senate race:
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 1:05am
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 1:08am
also
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 1:15am
The best speech of Trump's Presidency: https://youtu.be/-wdsOEKp4Og
by Orion on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 2:29am
It's a terrible speech. Even if we assume his examples aren't spin they're demagoguery designed to appeal to his ignorant right wing base. Except for the aid to Egypt the rest of his examples of foreign aid are in the tens of millions. One billion is one thousand million. Again excepting the 3 billion to Egypt adding all his examples together you get maybe one billion, out of a 900 billion dollar bill. And likely most of that aid is to help those countries deal with the covid crisis. Putting aside humanitarian reasons to help these poor countries deal with an extraordinary and expensive crisis there are pragmatic reasons to help these countries to limit deaths to remain stable. This is especially true with the aid to central and south American countries where instability can affect us with radicals fomenting revolution to increased immigration and the spread of disease to the US.
eta: It's actually 1.3 billion aid to Egypt, not 3 billion. If we were to take all the money listed in Trump's speech and gave it to Americans each person would get about 7 dollars, so $607 instead of $600
by ocean-kat on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 7:51pm
The Egypt money is prolly to pay back Egypt's loan/gift to Trump's campaign in Oct 2016, no?
by PeraclesPlease on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 2:19pm
And on things like arts and humanities that are being mentioned as "wasted", i.e Smithsonian, Kennedy Center. Would like to point out that while in the past that might have been a very valid argument (i.e., cut the subsidies it's a luxury we can't afford, they need to get by on much less.) right NOW it's totally different. Those kind of places don't get some money pronto, LOTS more people are going to lose their jobs. They are desperate, they've already laid off lots. If you think they shouldn't be subsidized, fine, but you better have other kind of jobs available or employees of such places are going to be on those food lines too. It's stimulus same as any other to be able to keep your job at the air & space museum, whether it's a janitor or a curator. A lot of these places are no different situation than restaurants, they are used to getting income from volume of visitors and they've either been closed or reduced 75%.
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 6:01pm
Useful counterpoints. Made me think right away: careful of the populist "chicken-in-every-pot" game:
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 12:35pm
to my own point:
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 12:52pm
Andrew Yang retweeted this new tweet by Pelosi
followed by this tweet of his own:
by artappraiser on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 12:56pm
$2000 for everyone, let's do it.
by Orion on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 2:28pm
UPDATE, what happened at The House today:
by artappraiser on Thu, 12/24/2020 - 1:17pm