Covid-19 Relief Bill - What you need to know

[lpetrich]

AOC: the Democratic Party shouldn't be this conservative.

Monthy child checks for a year. New thing in this bill. All the way up to age 18. Up to 6: $300/mo, the rest of the way: $250/mo. Income phaseout range: $75,000/yr to $100,000/yr.

Student loans? Don't have to pay taxes on cancellation, even if no cancellation in it. AOC can't claim credit for that, because she was working on some other things. She then noted something broader, that this is what you get with a movement of progressives. Not much each individual can do, but the more the better.

The bill has $350 billion in state and local assistance, something that some Republicans balked at - "blue-state bailout".

COBRA - continuing one's job's insurance after one leaves one's job. Very expensive. But this bill subsidizes it 100% until September.

Obamacare plans subsidized. For 2 years, premium at most 8.5% of one's income. More Federal coverage of Medicaid for states that have expanded their Medicaid coverage. Some 12 states haven't.

Restaurants and bars get extra PPP aid. AOC herself noted that she came out of that business.

Schools - assistance for reopening safely. Childcare providers getting some money. Housing and rental assistance (some $10 billion), homeless people.

Amtrak getting $1.7 billion to bring back their laid-off workers from their service cuts.

Pension assistance.

Unemployment - $300/mo extra assistance extended to September or so. 15% boost in SNAP benefits.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

One of those rare cases where the people and small businesses (actually ones) are the primary benefactors of legislation.

 

[Playball40]

The final version of the bill has passed the house. Biden will sign it Friday. Money will start going out next week.

Not to me. And I still have two kids at home.

Why not you?

17yos are not considered kids.

 

[Playball40]

Why not you?

WE DON'T SUBSIDIZE PEOPLE FROM THE HOMEWORLD OF THE TIMELORDS!

And why NOT???

 

[ZiprHead]

Why not you?

17yos are not considered kids.

According to my reading, it's 17 and under.

The new stimulus bill boosts the credit significantly for one year (tax year 2021) for people with essentially the same incomes as those qualifying for the full stimulus checks. The enhanced amount totals $3,600 per child under the age of 6, and $3,000 per child aged 6 through 17.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/covid-relief-bill-offers-child-tax-credit-stimulus-checks.html

 

[Elixir]

Why not you?

WE DON'T SUBSIDIZE PEOPLE FROM THE HOMEWORLD OF THE TIMELORDS!

And why NOT???

They don't pay enough taxes, and we're sick of having to defend them with our military.

 

[lpetrich]

AOC herself worked on funeral-expense assistance for people who lost relatives during this pandemic. Up to $7,000 in assistance.

Her family spent years digging themselves out of the financial hole from her father's medical expenses -- and also his funeral expenses.

This was from what some community advocates wanted. In the early months, NY-14 was the worst-hit district, with 5 of the top 10 zip codes for COVID-19 cases and deaths.

She says about the politics of it that it's not just Democrats vs. Republicans, some Democrats aren't doing a very good job. She notes that the bill isn't everything she wanted. Like $1,400 instead of $2,000 - it was because of the $600 last December. She prefers recurring $2,000 checks to make up for the abandonment of last year.

Then $15 minimum wage. It was included in the House's version. The Senate is another story, as AOC recounts. As to the Senate parliamentarian's verdict that it can't go into that bill, she said that Democrats should ignore it - they can do it (laughs). "To hell with the ruling. I shouldn't say that. Just wave it away. Who cares? Include it and vote on it. What was the problem with that?"

The Bernie Sanders got a vote on having the min wage. 8 Senate Democrats rejected it. She is grateful for BS for forcing those Senators to go on the record with their votes. A lot of politicians don't want to go on the record for such things, and AOC says that she has a lot of stories of politicians' behind-the-scenes maneuvers to avoid going public with stances like these.

She was rather tentative about who these 8 Senators were, and she suggested that activists ought to get to work on them. They are AZ: Kyrsten Sinema, DE: Chris Coons, Tom Carper, ME: Angus King (I), MT: Jon Tester, MH Maggie Hassan, Jeanne Shaheen, WV: Joe Manchin.

The next stop: the Biden Admin. $11/hr is not good enough for her. $15/hr was originally a compromise. She cites an amount of inflation since before she was born of about 4 - $6 to $24 - checking Inflation Calculator | Find US Dollar's Value from 1913-2021 I find that that is about right for 1978.

She thinks that many of her colleagues don't appreciate how hard it is to live off of a minimum wage. She says that a minimum wage ought to be enough to buy one's food, pay one's rent, and go to the doctor, all on one job with 40 hr / wk, and with some leisure. She calls it "dystopian capitalist conditioning" that one doesn't deserve to live if one makes minimum wage.

She then notes that many fellow Congressmembers claim that they don't get anything from their constituents about this issue and that. So she recommends calling or e-mailing one's Congressmembers. The right wing does a lot of that, she says, and her office often gets calls from right-wingers who repeat things that they heard from Fox News "ghouls" about her.

She recommends calling one's Congresspeople about things that they do right as well as things that they do wrong. Giving feedback helps indicate what to prioritize. Green New Deal? Labor unions? Medicare for All? Student-loan forgiveness? Higher minimum wage? ... she recently honored her district's Tibetan community on the floor of the House, and she got a lot of appreciative e-mails. She appeared at a Tibetan New Year event early in 2019.

She liked all that positive feedback. She urged people to thank such great Congresspeople as Barbara Lee.


AOC's video is now on YouTube: What’s in the COVID Bill? Instagram Live | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - YouTube Her channel also contains some of her previous IG Live videos.

 

[Ford]

One of those rare cases where the people and small businesses (actually ones) are the primary benefactors of legislation.

And the Republicans are terrified. Mitch McConnell is already getting the message out:

"We're about to have a boom. And if we do have a boom, it will have absolutely nothing to do with this $1.9 trillion"

He's a crafty old turtle, but he can't move fast enough on this one. They were able to take back Congress in 2010 thanks to an energized base with the Tea Party, and the fact that the Obama recovery was slow to kick in. "See, he hasn't done anything yet!" This time is different. He knows, which is why he's trying to get out ahead of this. It's the recovery package, PLUS the accelerated vaccine rollout, PLUS the economy reopening that's going to lead to a boom (or at least what seems like a boom). A boom that will be in full swing by 2022.

What really makes Mitch retreat into his shell is the fact that the President understands how important it is to take credit for the wins. Notice what he's doing. He's communicating with the American people directly after every big step so far.

Trump threw rallies whether he won or not, and only his most devoted followers showed up to cheer. Biden is going on television to speak to everybody. Here's where we are, here's what we're doing, here's what we've done, here's what we're going to do.

It's almost like a "fireside chat." All the Democrats need to do in 2022 is tell the American people over and over again: "Remember 2 years ago. We were tired, beaten down and hurting under Trump and the Republicans. Now, we're back to backyard barbecues, sports, and more importantly back to work."

 

[Angry Floof]

One of those rare cases where the people and small businesses (actually ones) are the primary benefactors of legislation.

And the Republicans are terrified. Mitch McConnell is already getting the message out:

"We're about to have a boom. And if we do have a boom, it will have absolutely nothing to do with this $1.9 trillion"

He's a crafty old turtle, but he can't move fast enough on this one. They were able to take back Congress in 2010 thanks to an energized base with the Tea Party, and the fact that the Obama recovery was slow to kick in. "See, he hasn't done anything yet!" This time is different. He knows, which is why he's trying to get out ahead of this. It's the recovery package, PLUS the accelerated vaccine rollout, PLUS the economy reopening that's going to lead to a boom (or at least what seems like a boom). A boom that will be in full swing by 2022.

What really makes Mitch retreat into his shell is the fact that the President understands how important it is to take credit for the wins. Notice what he's doing. He's communicating with the American people directly after every big step so far.

Trump threw rallies whether he won or not, and only his most devoted followers showed up to cheer. Biden is going on television to speak to everybody. Here's where we are, here's what we're doing, here's what we've done, here's what we're going to do.

It's almost like a "fireside chat." All the Democrats need to do in 2022 is tell the American people over and over again: "Remember 2 years ago. We were tired, beaten down and hurting under Trump and the Republicans. Now, we're back to backyard barbecues, sports, and more importantly back to work."

And he is speaking to their needs and their value as human beings, and not to their prejudices! This is so needed right now.

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "This week in Congress:

Dems: Passed $1.9T COVID package to deliver stimulus checks (w/ dependents!), cut child poverty in half, extend $300 UI, prevent cuts in state + local services, largest-ever investment in Native communities, etc

GOP: Took a week to read The Cat in the Hat" / Twitter
The right-wingers did that in its getting worked up over "cancel culture". Like "political correctness", "cancel culture" mainly means for the right wing an attack on everything that is true and good.


Pramila Jayapal on Twitter: "With the American Rescue Plan, we are cutting child poverty in half, increasing incomes for the poorest 20% of Americans by 20%, and reducing overall poverty by over one-third.

I’m proud of progressives for being instrumental in making this the bold relief package that it is." / Twitter


Pramila Jayapal on Twitter: "The GOP can claim the American Rescue Plan wasn’t “bipartisan,” but it has bipartisan support across the country. They’re the ones who tried to delay relief that nearly 60% of Republicans support." / Twitter

Pramila Jayapal on Twitter: "The American Rescue Plan will lower our poverty rate by over a THIRD, including a:

42% drop in poverty for Black people
39% drop for Latinx people

With bold policies like this, we can transform the lives of millions of people across the country. Let’s keep it going." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Pramila Jayapal on Twitter: "This is rich. Republicans are trying to claim credit for the relief bill, which NONE of them voted for.

75% of people support it and now they have to explain to their constituents why they were against putting money in their pockets.

It was a tactical mistake—and they know it." / Twitter

Rep. Jayapal also supports what Europeans have been doing:

Biden stimulus will help workers, but Europe has kept more people from losing jobs - The Washington Post

Even before President Biden signed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package this week, the United States had spent more than any other country to help workers and the economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

But countries in Europe, which have taken a sharply different approach, say even though they have spent less, they have saved their citizens from the sort of economic jolts and uncertainties many Americans have faced over the past year.

The United States is expected to rebound faster than many of its allies and competitors, thanks to its spending and rapid vaccination campaign.

But while Americans were waiting to find out how much they might get in stimulus checks and whether unemployment benefits might be extended, most Europeans kept their jobs and didn’t have to worry as much about the future.

 

[lpetrich]

Rep. Jayapal explains the bill with emojis:
Rep. Pramila Jayapal on Twitter: "What’s in the relief bill? ..." / Twitter

What’s in the relief bill?

$1,400 survival checks
$20 billion for shots in arms
Increased child tax credit
Enhanced UI benefits
🏞 $7.1 billion for WA State
Rental assistance
Nutrition assistance
✏ $130 billion for schools

I agree with this:
Ro Khanna on Twitter: "A one-time $1,400 check is simply not enough to pay the bills.

We’re one year into this pandemic, and many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Let’s pass $2k monthly checks." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Five Things The COVID-19 Bill Revealed About How Washington Will Work In The Biden Era | FiveThirtyEight
I'll assemble a list from section headings.

1. The Biden-led Democratic Party is more liberal and populist than the Obama or Clinton versions.
2. To Biden, ‘unity’ does not necessarily mean bipartisanship.
3. Democrats have a big filibuster problem.
4. Democrats also have a big Manchin-Sinema problem.
5. Republicans are using their Obama-era playbook.

Back in 2009, the Obama Administration prepared a stimulus package, but kept it less than $1 trillion to avoid doing a lot of deficit spending and to appease the Republicans. This time, the Biden Administration is spending twice as much, even when one adjusts for inflation.

Deficit hawks' warnings about the debilitating effects of deficit spending seem rather hollow when one considers the deficit spending of the Reagan, Bush I, Bush II, and Trump Administrations. Deficit spending that the deficit hawks have been curiously silent about.

As to bipartisanship, that is difficult when one party does nothing but obstruct, as the Republicans did in the Obama years. From the article,

All indications are that Republicans think that the way to win back control of the House and/or Senate next year is to repeat their strategy from the Obama years: intense and total opposition to the agenda of the sitting Democratic president.

 

[lpetrich]

JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo face customer anger over stimulus checks - CBS News - they've been slow in delivering them, despite their being direct-deposit.

The banks say the timing of the payments is outside their control. Although the IRS started issuing payments over the weekend, the official payment date isn't until March 17, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase told CBS MoneyWatch. Wells Fargo added that it "is not holding the funds" and that it will deposit the money into accounts as soon as possible.

Yet other banks are crediting the funds to customer accounts immediately.

I got mine today.

But on the plus side,
Cori Bush on Twitter: "The American Rescue Plan will go down in history as the most progressive piece of legislation in decades, & it would not have happened without progressive organizers, who elected progressive candidates, who fought for progressive policies.

This is only the beginning of our work." / Twitter

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

So GOP run states want to take the money in the Covid-19 Relief bill and cut taxes and are looking to sue the Feds over it.

"Congress may not micromanage a state's fiscal policies in violation of anti-commandeering principles nor coerce a state into forfeiting one of its core constitutional functions in exchange for a large check from the federal government," Republican West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a statement.

The Federal Government gives them a sack of money for specific purposes and the Red States say 'you can't force us to use the money you gave us for Covid-19 relief on Covid-19 relief'.

Of course, the Covid-19 relief bill (several hundred pages long) does exactly that. You cut taxes with this money, you have to give it back by whatever you cut the taxes by. The GOP just keeps falling lower and lower.

 

[lpetrich]

Summers Sees Worst U.S. Macroeconomic Policy in 40 Years - Bloomberg
Larry Summers was a Treasury Secretary in the Obama years, and when I learned that he would have a prominent role in the Obama Admin, I thought "What kind of left-wing ogre chooses someone like that?" I was thinking about how right-wingers view Obama.

Also
Larry Summers blasts $1.9 T stimulus as 'least responsible' economic policy in 40 years | TheHill

Joe Weisenthal on Twitter: "Larry Summers (links)" / Twitter

"I think these are the least responsible fiscal macroeconomic policy we've have had for the last 40 years," he said. "I think it's fundamentally driven by intransigence on the Democratic left and intransigence and the completely irresponsible behavior in the whole of the Republican Party."

Then
'Weird Alex' Pareene on Twitter: "people are enjoying Larry Summers being mad (and they should!) but they should also understand that he's trying to spook the markets and crash the economy to punish the administration for shutting him out. it might be a silly plan but that's what he's going to do for four years." / Twitter

Steve Matthews on Twitter: "Larry Summers on U.S. economic outlook:
33% odds of stagflation
33% odds of recession
33% rapid growth, no surge in inflation
(link) via @economics" / Twitter

Then a lot of fun at his expense, like
Max Berger on Twitter: "According to my models, Larry Summers complaining about the American Rescue Plan is:
33% bad economic theory
33% fragile male ego
33% mistaken political analysis" / Twitter

 

[ZiprHead]

Democrats Say Agency Run By Trump Holdover Is Delaying Stimulus Checks
The IRS hasn’t received the payment information it requested to send checks to Social Security recipients.

Millions of disabled and retired Americans are still waiting for their $1,400 stimulus payments because of a holdup at the Social Security Administration, House Democrats said Wednesday.

Social Security hasn’t handed over payment information that the Internal Revenue Service needs to send the coronavirus relief checks to nearly 30 million people receiving retirement or disability benefits, Democrats said.

“We understand that these beneficiaries are waiting because the Social Security Administration has not sent the necessary payment files to the Internal Revenue Service,” House Ways and Means Committee chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said in a letter to Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul.

Several Democrats, including Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), had previously urged President Joe Biden to fire Saul, a Donald Trump appointee whose term doesn’t expire until 2025. Biden has hesitated to do so even though he’s fired other Trump holdovers in other agencies before their terms have ended.

The IRS has sent more than 127 million payments so far. Neal and other members of his committee earlier this week asked Social Security and the IRS to explain the delayed payments to Social Security beneficiaries.

In Wednesday’s letter, Democrats said they became “aware that the IRS asked SSA to start sending payment files two weeks before the American Rescue Plan became law on March 11, 2021” ― and that Social Security still hasn’t provided the information.

That explains why my wife and I are still waiting.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Democrats Say Agency Run By Trump Holdover Is Delaying Stimulus Checks
The IRS hasn’t received the payment information it requested to send checks to Social Security recipients.

Millions of disabled and retired Americans are still waiting for their $1,400 stimulus payments because of a holdup at the Social Security Administration, House Democrats said Wednesday.

Social Security hasn’t handed over payment information that the Internal Revenue Service needs to send the coronavirus relief checks to nearly 30 million people receiving retirement or disability benefits, Democrats said.

“We understand that these beneficiaries are waiting because the Social Security Administration has not sent the necessary payment files to the Internal Revenue Service,” House Ways and Means Committee chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said in a letter to Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul.

Several Democrats, including Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), had previously urged President Joe Biden to fire Saul, a Donald Trump appointee whose term doesn’t expire until 2025. Biden has hesitated to do so even though he’s fired other Trump holdovers in other agencies before their terms have ended.

The IRS has sent more than 127 million payments so far. Neal and other members of his committee earlier this week asked Social Security and the IRS to explain the delayed payments to Social Security beneficiaries.

In Wednesday’s letter, Democrats said they became “aware that the IRS asked SSA to start sending payment files two weeks before the American Rescue Plan became law on March 11, 2021” ― and that Social Security still hasn’t provided the information.

That explains why my wife and I are still waiting.

What I really don't like is the IRS website groups not-processed with not-getting-a-check. WTF?? I think we still have some Trumpians jamming up the system.