US Cases: 1,360,705
US Deaths: 76,617
Worldwide Cases: 4,256,991
Worldwide Deaths: 291,487
I want to focus on a fundamental difference between the Democratic and Republican parties. Today Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats introduced another coronavirus relief bill (four have been passed so far). Highlights of the measure include:
- Roughly $1 trillion for state, local and tribal governments and territories
- An extension of unemployment benefits
- Another round of $1,200 stimulus payments
- $25 billion to support the US Postal Service
- $3.6 billion for election security for November's election
- $75 billion in mortgage relief
- $100 billion in rent assistance
- Increases in tax credits for lower-income Americans
- Rolling back a capital gains tax break for married couples earning more than $500,000/year
Unsurprisingly, congressional Republicans are rejecting this bill out of hand. The article highlights the contrast between the parties, listing Republican priorities as:
- Protecting businesses which reopen from being legally liable should any of their employees get sick as a result of returning to work
- More tax cuts --- because Republicans are constitutionally incapable of passing any bill which does not contain tax cuts
Republicans say this bill is dead on arrival, and with a Republican-controlled Senate and Trump in the White House, they're absolutely right. I'm highlighting the differences here so that in the months to come, people might recall that the Democrats had a better plan.
Who knows, people might even decide to vote for Democrats so that when January gets here, we might get some sane policy coming out of Washington.
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