What’s in Democrats’ coronavirus bill? Arts funding, union help and more
-
House Dems cram coronavirus bill with arts funding, union help, Obamaphones, voter registration, more
Here's some of what's in the House Democrats' $2.5 trillion, 1,404-page bill.
Diversity provisions
The House Democrats' bill requires that any company getting coronavirus-related aid disclose its diversity stats, including its employees' race, gender, pay, corporate board diversity and the structure of its offices that deal with diversity and inclusion.
The reports, which will be made public within a year of the companies accepting federal coronavirus-related assistance, will also include the "number and dollar value invested with minority-and-women owned suppliers ... including professional services (legal and consulting) and asset managers, and deposits and other accounts with minority depository institutions, as compared to all vendor investments."
Post Office bailout
One section of the bill would eliminate $11 billion worth of debt for the U.S. Postal Service -- money that it currently owes to the Treasury Department. It would also require the Treasury to "eliminate the $3 billion annual borrowing limit in current law," according to a summary of the bill released by House Democrats.
Union boosting
In addition to requiring each airline that receives money through the bill to have a union representative on its board, the House Democrats' summary says the bill would nullify a variety of executive orders issued by the Trump administration on collective bargaining.
Environmental provisions
Any airlines that accept assistance from the House Democrats' bill would be forced to "offset their carbon emissions and reduce their overall emissions by 50 percent by 2050." That matches with environmental plans from Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders to have the U.S. reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The House bill would also expand an FAA program that incentivizes airports to purchase environmentally friendly equipment and create a "cash for clunkers" program -- similar to one created by the Obama administration for cars -- but for older airplanes.
Additionally, it will provide $1.2 billion in grants over five years for the production of "sustainable aviation fuels" that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by "at least 30 percent" compared to traditional jet fuel.
Obamaphones
One section of Pelosi's bill allocates $1 billion and calls for federal authorities to immediately expand the "emergency lifeline broadband benefit" for every household that contains at least one "qualifying low-income consumer." That would include any "mass-market retail service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially all Internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation of the communications service."
That benefit would include cell phones.
The National Republican Congressional Committee said the House bill is "full of unrelated liberal goodies, including the return of the Obamaphone," a program that the Government Accountability Office found was "rife with fraud" according to a Washington Times report at the time.
Newspaper retirement plans
House Democrats' plan, according to its summary, expands a recent law that provides "pension funding relief for a number of community newspaper plan sponsors."
$15 minimum wage for companies accepting assistance
Two different sections in the House Democrats' summary of the bill address minimum wage. One provision would "require corporations that receive any federal assistance" to pay all of its workers at least $15 per hour. In addition to the minimum wage, that same provision includes a ban on golden parachutes, restricted bonuses and compensation for executives, a ban on stock buybacks and a ban on companies changing their collective bargaining agreements.
Kennedy Center
The House Democrats' bill provides $35 million to ensure that the D.C.-based John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is able to remain operational and pay its expenses during the coronavirus-related economic slowdown.
The next page of the bill indicates that $300 million would be allotted for the National Endowment of the Arts with an additional $300 million for the National Endowment of the Humanities.
Voter registration
The House Democrats' bill has a variety of election-related mandates, including that states allow at least 15 days of early voting for elections and no-excuse absentee mail-in voting -- two things that could be useful in holding elections during the continuing coronavirus threat.
But is also prohibits states from "imposing additional conditions or requirements on the eligibility of a voter to cast an absentee ballot such as notarization or witness signatures, and prohibits requiring identification to obtain an absentee ballot."
It also forces states to allow same-day voter registration, a practice that is becoming more common throughout the U.S. but is far from universal.
-
that ain't no "few" !
-
Things are getting pretty deep, wow.
-
Things are getting pretty deep, wow.
Things are getting pretty deep, wow.
I think you can have the debate about at what cost do you fight this virus versus the economic costs. The human costs could be worse if by fighting the virus we end up in a Great Depression.
I live in a small rural County. Already seeing big lay offs. They should be temporary but you have to be concerned.
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/news/business/174516/norcold-lays-off-345-employees
-
Yeah, there's pork in both proposals. Point/counter point, just what America needs in a time of crisis.
Join me please in NOT voting D or R this fall. Let's call it the "BrownsBoard Political Challenge."
Yeah, there's pork in both proposals. Point/counter point, just what America needs in a time of crisis.
Join me please in NOT voting D or R this fall. Let's call it the "BrownsBoard Political Challenge."
wait, Bob - I don't see any list pork crammed into the bill by republicans. What is this about rep pork???
not one article on that can I find.
But the lists of dem pork is all over the place EVEN cnn/msnbc.
I can't find any reference to republican pork.
only dem pork.
MSNBC's Joy Reid hits Dems for including abortion in ...
https://www.foxnews.com/media/msnbc-joy-reid-abortion-coronavirus11 days ago · MSNBC host Joy Reid appeared bewildered over reports that the proposed emergency spending bill from House Democrats to combat the coronavirus outbreak was halted over a dispute involving "abortion ..
-
Got to get rid of the threat before we go back to normal. Its stupid as hell to think the virus will stop because our economy needs it too.
"You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970. -
Got to get rid of the threat before we go back to normal. Its stupid as hell to think the virus will stop because our economy needs it too.
Got to get rid of the threat before we go back to normal. Its stupid as hell to think the virus will stop because our economy needs it too.
Hong Kong appears to have had that problem.
https://thenationalpulse.com/coronavirus/hong-kong-coronavirus-back/
-
NY Times Does It Again, Spins Yet Another Headline to Defend Dems, Attack GOP Over Virus Relief Bill
More blatant media bias. The hold up on the relief bill is now blamed on the republicans.
-
Got to get rid of the threat before we go back to normal. Its stupid as hell to think the virus will stop because our economy needs it too.
Got to get rid of the threat before we go back to normal. Its stupid as hell to think the virus will stop because our economy needs it too.
If people run out of money, food, water, etc. they will be leaving the home regardless of the temporary policy. A failed economy will force people to scavenge and or congregate in order to survive. Ask Venezuela. I'm sure you meet all types waiting in line at a trash can. Happens PDQ.
“It is impossible to get a man to understand something if his livelihood depends on him not understanding.” -
-
Got to get rid of the threat before we go back to normal. Its stupid as hell to think the virus will stop because our economy needs it too.
If people run out of money, food, water, etc. they will be leaving the home regardless of the temporary policy. A failed economy will force people to scavenge and or congregate in order to survive. Ask Venezuela. I'm sure you meet all types waiting in line at a trash can. Happens PDQ.
If people run out of money, food, water, etc. they will be leaving the home regardless of the temporary policy. A failed economy will force people to scavenge and or congregate in order to survive. Ask Venezuela. I'm sure you meet all types waiting in line at a trash can. Happens PDQ.
It'd be quite a while for the situation to develop. I'm saying opening everything up now would be stupid. People can still get unemployment and these Trump checks. Now if it went on for months and months, then were all in deep shit. But I doubt it will.
-
Yeah, there's pork in both proposals. Point/counter point, just what America needs in a time of crisis.
Join me please in NOT voting D or R this fall. Let's call it the "BrownsBoard Political Challenge."
wait, Bob - I don't see any list pork crammed into the bill by republicans. What is this about rep pork???
not one article on that can I find.
But the lists of dem pork is all over the place EVEN cnn/msnbc.
I can't find any reference to republican pork.
only dem pork.
MSNBC's Joy Reid hits Dems for including abortion in ...
https://www.foxnews.com/media/msnbc-joy-reid-abortion-coronavirus11 days ago · MSNBC host Joy Reid appeared bewildered over reports that the proposed emergency spending bill from House Democrats to combat the coronavirus outbreak was halted over a dispute involving "abortion ..
wait, Bob - I don't see any list pork crammed into the bill by republicans. What is this about rep pork???
not one article on that can I find.
But the lists of dem pork is all over the place EVEN cnn/msnbc.
I can't find any reference to republican pork.
only dem pork.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/23/democrats-slush-fund-republican-rescue-package-143565
Looks "porky" to politico, which seems legit. They reference the concern about "transparency"
-
wait, Bob - I don't see any list pork crammed into the bill by republicans. What is this about rep pork???
not one article on that can I find.
But the lists of dem pork is all over the place EVEN cnn/msnbc.
I can't find any reference to republican pork.
only dem pork.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/23/democrats-slush-fund-republican-rescue-package-143565
Looks "porky" to politico, which seems legit. They reference the concern about "transparency"
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/23/democrats-slush-fund-republican-rescue-package-143565
Looks "porky" to politico, which seems legit. They reference the concern about "transparency"
Now, BOB. The help to companies to keep them from going completely under because of the virus crisis,
IS......NOT......PORK. Again, let's define "pork"
Pork barrel is a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district. The usage originated in American English. Scholars use it as a technical term regarding legislative control of local appropriations.
Now, in this instance, what the dems are doing isn't all that local, but totally irrelevant money added in, that has NOTHING to do with the virus crisis.
Money to help companies helps the companies stay afloat so the unions don't lose their jobs. Money to help unions doesn't help the companies stay afloat.
"transparency" is right there - it's IN THE BILL. IT IS NOT UNRELATED TO THE INTENTION OF THE BILL.
The "helping companies" is part of the "saving the economy".
You equate THAT with abortion funding and all the asinine totally non-related pork the dems put into the bill?
Can't buy it. It's more like "the dems look bad, but I support the unions so don't vote for the reps, either".
Sorry, makes no sense. the moral equivalency is totally false.
-
Nancy Pelosi Signals Surrender on Relief Bill Just a Day After Going Full Leroy Jenkins
-
Nancy Pelosi Signals Surrender on Relief Bill Just a Day After Going Full Leroy Jenkins
Nancy Pelosi Signals Surrender on Relief Bill Just a Day After Going Full Leroy Jenkins
You nor Red State has the permission to invoke the name if Leroy in vain.
I demand a full apology and a retraction from your cited author.
-
Nancy Pelosi Signals Surrender on Relief Bill Just a Day After Going Full Leroy Jenkins
You nor Red State has the permission to invoke the name if Leroy in vain.
I demand a full apology and a retraction from your cited author.
You nor Red State has the permission to invoke the name if Leroy in vain.
I demand a full apology and a retraction from your cited author.
LOL...I had to google Leroy Jenkins...
-
LOL...I had to google Leroy Jenkins...
One of the best videos ever! ?
Our musical works to date http://www.arielsatticmusic.com/
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login