The Biden White House cites polls showing its $ 1.9 trillion spending is popular and the press corps is cheering. However, we wonder how much public support there would be if Americans understood that most of the outbreak is a list of longstanding Democratic spending priorities flying the false flag of Covid-19 aid.
Let’s dive into the various House Committee bills to sort the chaff from the Covid. The Covid cash is around $ 75 billion for vaccinations, treatments, tests and medical care. There is also $ 19 billion for “public health,” mostly for state health departments and community health centers. You could even count the $ 6 billion for Indian health service or $ 4 billion for mental health.
The package also caters to more businesses and individuals who are hardest hit by bans. That includes $ 7.2 billion more for the Paycheck Protection Program, $ 15 billion for catastrophe loans for economic injuries, $ 26 billion for restaurants, bars and venues, and $ 15 billion for wage and salary Payroll for airlines. The recipients of this taxpayer money must prove at least economic damage and, in some cases, repay loans.
Not so the recipients of the $ 413 billion checks that Democrats intend to send to households far and wide at a cost of $ 1,400 per man, woman, and dependent with an individual income of $ 75,000 expires. The Congressional Budget Office says the bill’s unemployment provisions will increase deficits by $ 246 billion and that the weekly $ 400 “increase” in unemployment benefits through August could “increase unemployment and decrease labor participation.” So much for economic stimuli.
Overall, this generous definition of the provisions related to Covid comes to around $ 825 billion. The rest of the bill – more than $ 1 trillion – is a combination of bailouts for Democratic constituencies, expansions of progressive programs, pork and unrelated policy changes.
