"The emergency COVID bill contains hundreds of billions in aid to individuals"

[Budi]

https://www.reclaimthefight.com/2020/12/not-just-six-hundred-dollars-emergency.html?m=1


Not just six hundred dollars: The emergency COVID bill contains hundreds of billions in aid to individuals
Monday, December 21, 2020

Yes, a one-time $600 payment is inadequate. Yes, extending the eviction moratorium for only a month is anxiety-inducing. Yes, having no direct assistance to state, cities, and Native American tribal governments is a broken promise.

Both President-elect Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made it clear that the compromise emergency COVID package Congress is getting ready to pass (Is Now Passed) cannot be viewed as completed work but only as a down payment.

Be that as it may, the paltry nature of a $600 survival direct payment has taken over the coverage of the coronavirus relief package at the expense of the very real individual benefits that Democrats were able to negotiate in the package, and it should not be.
Here is what you get, in addition to the one-time $600 payment, depending on your situation.

If you are unemployed, not only have your unemployment benefits been extended until March, you will also get a $300/week enhancement to unemployment benefits for 11 weeks. That is $1,300 a month on top of your standard unemployment benefit. That comes in at a total of $166 billion.

If you work for small businesses, you might be able to receive your full paycheck even if the business cannot
MORE...

If you rent or pay a mortgage, you cannot be evicted for nonpayment. The eviction moratorium set to expire at the end of this month has been extended to January 31. If you are having a hard time affording rent, a $25 billion fund has been secured to help you pay rent.

If you are food insecure, Democrats have secured a $13 billion increase in SNAP funding.

If you have a child in school or are in school yourself, you may be interested to know that $82 billion is being set aside to help schools and colleges reopen safely.

If you are worried about hospital bills, this bill ends surprise medical billing, requiring that get a "true and honest cost estimate" 3 days before any scheduled procedure and that billing disputes would be subject to arbitration.

If you take public transit, your local transit agency can get part of the $14 billion set aside to keep the buses, light rails, and commuter trains running.

If you are having trouble affording Broadband internet so you can work or attend school from home, this bill creates a $7 billion fund to help you pay for it.

If you drive, there is $10 billion to maintain highways.

And if you are planning on getting the coronavirus vaccine at some point? There is $68 billion in this package for vaccine distribution and $20 billion to make sure no one has to pay a penny to receive it.

Last but not least, let's be crystal clear that there would be no relief bill at all - that means zero direct payment, no extended unemployment, no paychecks if your employer is a small business affected by the pandemic, no eviction moratorium, no SNAP expansion, at all, had the Democratic leadership not lined up behind a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators (including Republicans willing to buck their party leadership) who stepped forward to break a logjam that lasted the full human gestation period. Republicans were so ready to leave town with nothing ...



Would more be better? Of course. As Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi have made clear, once Biden and Vice President-elect Harris have been sworn in, they and Congressional Democrats will push for more relief and stimulus.

We will need that, and it will completely change the dynamic in Congress if Jon Osoff and Rev. Rafael Warnock were to replace Trumpian hacks David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler in the Senate. ..
MORE....

Thank you Democrats.

[bottomofthehill]

1. Yes, thank you for the long fight

And for not giving up on the American public.

[Budi]

3. Just One More Month. Hang on America

Repubs know that GA is about to evict their majority grip on the Senate.
As in the Presidential race, it is still the voters that will have the final say.

Pitiful that this had to be the only motivation that moved them.

I truly hope that 2022 wipes the GOP off the map.

[sheshe2]

2. This.

Would more be better? Of course. As Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi have made clear, once Biden and Vice President-elect Harris have been sworn in, they and Congressional Democrats will push for more relief and stimulus.

We will need that, and it will completely change the dynamic in Congress if Jon Osoff and Rev. Rafael Warnock were to replace Trumpian hacks David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler in the Senate. ..

Thank you, budi.

We need Georgia to make this work. We need Georgia.

[Budi]

5. I can't wait for President Biden to embrace this country.

[sheshe2]

10. Coming Soon!

[RussellCattle]

4. Excellent anaysis and commentary. Who is this "Reclaim the Fight" group anyway? I've got to.....

.....look into this.

[Budi]

7. The author of this site is honored among Democrats & Progressives alike.

He has been endorsed by Rep Ro Khanna & is an Obama guy as well.
He is a recipient of Special Congressional Recognition for patient advocacy by Rep. Ro Khanna.

I like his common sense & thorugh sourced writing.
His list of creds is years long.

It's a good site. He is a solid Democrat..~

[Grasswire2]

6. I watched FOX for a little while this evening.

They are blaming the delay and the amount of $600 on Nancy. Flat out lying about it.

[Budi]

8. Of course they are blaming her. FOX isn't the only one beating that drum

Schumer was applauded in the news today, Pelosi was denigrated.

I believe it's still a gender game with many.
And It's stupid.

[SheltieLover]

9. Ty, Dems!

[progree]

11. Congress takes aim at climate change in massive relief bill

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/12/21/congress-takes-aim-at-climate-change-in-massive-relief-bill
The huge pandemic relief and spending bill includes billions of dollars to promote clean energy such as wind and solar power while sharply reducing over time the use of potent coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators that are considered a major driver of global warming.

... Barrasso ... citing measures that promote technologies to “capture” and store carbon dioxide produced by power and manufacturing plants; reduce diesel emissions in buses and other vehicles; and authorize a 15-year reduction of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, that are used in everything from cars to air conditioners.

The sprawling legislation also extends tax credits for solar and wind power that are a key part of President-elect Joe Biden's ambitious plan to generate 100 percent “clean electricity” by 2035.

Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, the top Democrat on the environment panel, said the bill would cut pollution from school buses, air conditioners, refrigerators and more, while creating thousands of American jobs and helping "save our planet from the climate crisis.''

It's not going to put us on the path to 1.5 or 2 deg C, but I'm amazed what was agreed to (I wonder what we gave up to get it).

Another thing I've heard about the relief bill: is that the Repuke's wet dream of liability protection for businesses that don't do squat to protect their employees or customers was kept out of the bill.

[RainCaster]

12. Of course there is pork in this, too

Some of the non-covid-relief items include:
$1.3B for Egypt
$4B for military weapons research
$200M to replace Huawei & ZTE equipment

[The Mouth]

13. Less in some cases would have been better, too

Last edited Tue Dec 22, 2020, 10:47 PM - Edit history (1)

$500 million to Israel, Jordon, Millions for Venezuela?
WTF?

[OldBaldy1701E]

14. I sure long for the day

when helping out the general population of this country is not seen as a major undertaking and results in a pathetic 'down payment' only... hell, to be able to believe that your elected official is going to consider your position at all would be amazing.