General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRepublicans Agree On $1,200 Checks, But Negotiations Are Still Faltering. Here's The Latest
Republicans Agree On $1,200 Checks, But Negotiations Are Still Faltering. Heres The Latest On The Next Big Stimulus Billhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/07/23/republicans-agree-on-1200-checks-but-negotiations-are-still-faltering-heres-the-latest-on-the-next-big-stimulus-bill/
The coronavirus pandemic has taken an inconceivable toll on the American economy. Its caused the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression, decimated millions of small businesses, and set off a wave of big corporate bankruptcies.
Since March, Washington lawmakers have been scrambling to prevent a full-scale economic meltdown while managing a public health crisis. So far, theyve passed four major pieces of coronavirus rescue legislation (more on that below) anchored by the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the largest economic stimulus package in American history.
The road to the passage of the CARES Act on March 27 was rocky, at best. There were competing bills from each chamber of Congress, and accusations of partisanship flew freely as lawmakers maneuvered to get their own priorities written into the lawand blamed the other party for any delay. Senate Democrats blocked an early Republican version of the bill to force stricter oversight of corporate bailout money and more generous support for workers.
On May 15, House Democrats passed their own proposal for the next stimulus bill, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has vowed will be the last. The House-passed $3 trillion Heroes Act, however, was never taken up by Senate Republicans, and Democrats have been left waiting for an opening proposal from the other side of the aisle to kick off negotiations in earnest in the coming days. Republicans, meanwhile, are reportedly fighting bitterly among themselves and struggling to agree on policy priorities.
*snip*
jimfields33
(15,933 posts)The rest of the bill can be negotiated after.
quakerboy
(13,920 posts)They wont let a bill come up for a vote unless it includes limiting liability for corporations that want to reopen but are afraid they might get sued for not protecting employees and customers.
Amishman
(5,559 posts)not blanket immunity to everything covid related, but some middle ground to prevent every person who ends up with covid (which will be most of us eventually) from forming giant class action suits against just about every retailer that ever had an employee test positive.
There is a good chance we end up with entirely new subindustry of ambulance chaser type specialty law firms out of this.
Why should we let corporations dump responsibility for their own choices?
I dont know how it is in your area.. but mine, repeatedly, wed learn about a local store that had an employee with a positive, and then they would first try to cover it up, then once it became public knowledge they'd publicly schedule a "deep clean" of the store, which employees would then let the public know was never actually done, and in the mean time other employees with potential symptoms would be pressured to come to work regardless.
Over the course of Covid this has happened at every major retailer in my area except costco. And much as I costco, I wouldn't bet money that they weren't just better at controlling the information flow.
I cant think of a reason to give them an ounce of liability protection.
Not while workplaces are still not enforcing mask rules
Not while they are pulling people back from work at home, even as cases increase.
Not while they are pulling people back in without any real plan on spacing.
Especially when any liability protection will be written by Republicans and aimed carefully at giving meat packing plants and hobby lobby a clear slate no matter what they did or didn't do.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)marybourg
(12,634 posts)meadowlander
(4,402 posts)Cha
(297,531 posts)the other week who still hadn't gotten his, either.
That has to be so Frustrating! Best of Luck for actually Getting IT!
marybourg
(12,634 posts)who got a check got an advance on the credit. Ill get to deduct the credit from my tax, which will work out o.k., also.
sfstaxprep
(9,998 posts)It needs to be more targeted and structured. I heard of couples who make well over $100K who were getting the full amount, and there are clearly people at the lower end, in much more dire need to get the stimulus.
meadowlander
(4,402 posts)I've lived overseas for the past sixteen years and it's a little silly that I'm getting checks to stimulate the US economy.
But whatever. I still have to file tax returns despite not using any US government services or getting any other benefits.
The countries that did this smartly used that money to goose unemployment payments and subsidised businesses that could show there were actual impacts on them (e.g. not grocery stores or toilet paper manufacturers) so they would keep people on the payroll.
stopdiggin
(11,348 posts)but for a slap-dash, last minute, seat of the pants, kitchen sink measure -- those $1200 checks went out to a lot of citizens -- and helped a lot of households immeasurably. In fact -- maybe one of the few things that the feds have done throughout that was even remotely positive or beneficial. We could have used more of the same over the intervening months. And still could.
mvd
(65,180 posts)Making more groups of people (like students) eligible and get them out more quickly and efficiently. Also, lower income people like me could get more than the $1,200. I wouldnt mind an income limit, but with the unemployment, that limit shouldnt be too low. These payments should continue as long as COVID is a significant problem. I support UBI in fact.
meadowlander
(4,402 posts)I filed a 2019 return which was the first time I gave them direct deposit information. I'm sure the reason I haven't gotten it yet is because they haven't processed the return yet even though I filed it almost four months ago. You should be able to go in on the website, answer a few questions to verify your identity and then just enter the bank account numbers directly in yourself.
I'm only going to use it to pay down my student loan. They should also give you the option to apply it directly to that.
Because they don't let you choose how you want to get the payment, I've been worried they're going to snail mail a debit card in US dollars to me in New Zealand where I can't actually use it on anything and then I somehow have to figure out how to pay my student loan off with a debit card.
mvd
(65,180 posts)Good idea and should be easy to implement.
jorgevlorgan
(8,327 posts)I mean they won't because they ha e no spine, but it would be the right thing to do at this point.
Progressive Jones
(6,011 posts)jorgevlorgan
(8,327 posts)The purity tests can come after.
Progressive Jones
(6,011 posts)I have no doubt that certain righties would love to infiltrate the Democratic Party.
That's how the GOP operates. They infest, then destroy, then claim to be "the only
ones who can solve this mess".
This is all we will hear from Day One after the Dems sweep in November.
"Broken government! Broken government! We have to take it back! The Dems are destroying our nation!!!".
Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)to show the messes Democrats always have to come in and clean up. We are just the Republicans' clean up crew. We barely have time to fix their last mess before our turn/time is up and they get to be in charge again and screw everything up and destroy everything again.
JI7
(89,262 posts)be difficult to get things done regardless.
And just stopping right wing extremism and corruption itself would be reason to support anyone that wants to support Democrats against the Trump disaster.
quakerboy
(13,920 posts)Voted against impeachment.
They chose between good and evil when it mattered, and any "change" now should be viewed with utmost skepticism.
jorgevlorgan
(8,327 posts)They will rot in hell for it.
BComplex
(8,060 posts)and it was especially evident in small towns where everyone knew darned good and well how people felt about their politics.
Progressive Jones
(6,011 posts)That jump came from DINOs infesting Congress. And, I'll come right out and say it.
Scandal aside, Clinton was too far to the right for my liking.
Hillary wouldn't have been that far to the right, IMHO.
I'm hoping the current Progressive presence/mood keeps Joe from being just another corporate Dem
once he takes the WH. He's no Warren or Sanders, but I think he represents the average Democratic voter.
ahoysrcsm
(787 posts)VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!
Because without the control of the House, Senate, and Presidency we would not have the ACA.
Progressive ideals are great! But no purity tests OK. We need all the D to be able to turn the tide on climate change, Russia, China, etc.
JI7
(89,262 posts)The country is getting more liberal with the change in demographics with more minorities and less white people.
But Clinton had to work with what we had.
Majority of white people in the country lean right wing . Even many white people who claim to be progressive or left wing supported Trump over Hillary. So we know what these people's priorities are regarldess of what they claim to be.
delisen
(6,044 posts)Rewriting the history we don't want to acknowledge is just faux progressivism.
Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)I despise that there are at least a few in the Democratic Party that the Republicans can count on to vote with them on a lot of issues. It is like we purposely being infiltrated and weakened from the inside and we are letting them do it to us. Leave Republicans in the Republican Party.
JI7
(89,262 posts)democrats in red areas .
mvd
(65,180 posts)I dont expect that all Democrats would be liberal, but I do hope we get to a future where the corporate interests have less and less control.
I hope Sanders is right about Biden being more liberal than Clinton and Obama. Even if the same, our first step is to get Trump out. The people chose Biden so that is over. Now we just get him in the WH and move to make him as progressive as we can.
sprinkleeninow
(20,254 posts)Johnny2X2X
(19,107 posts)Republicans want it reduced to $100. Don't let Forbes pretend it's anything different than just that 1 thing, everything else is easily settled.