Lawmakers okay mammoth spending bill, virus relief
House, Senate now head home for short Christmas break
Congress okays Coronavirus aid, while GOP lawmakers huddle with President Trump on overturning his election loss. More in "Regular Order" for December 22, 2020.
A GIGANTIC LEGISLATIVE SAUSAGE. At 5,593 pages of legislative text, this is the largest bill I've ever seen in Congress. Even if lawmakers had the time to speed read it, they would not fully understand it. But most members were more than ready to vote for it, eager to wrap up budget work and send Coronavirus relief back home. 'It's better than no deal at all," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK). “This legislation is a much needed and long overdue step towards recovery,” said Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH). “Help is on the way for families & small businesses,” tweeted Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL). Others were not thrilled. “Who in their right mind thinks that this is a responsible way of governing?" said Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL). But the votes weren’t even close. The House voted 327-85 for the spending and 359-53 for the virus relief. The final Senate vote was 92 to 6.
SIX GOP NO VOTES: The six Republican Senators who voted against the COVID relief / Omnibus spending bill were Cruz (TX), Blackburn (TN), Paul (KY), Lee (UT), Johnson (WI), and Rick Scott (FL).
CORONAVIRUS AID FINALLY APPROVED. For most Americans, the provisions of interest are all about aid for businesses and individuals hit by the virus outbreak. Many Americans will get direct checks of $600 (phased out at $75,000 income for an individual, $150,000 per couple). There will be extra jobless benefits extending into mid-March. There is more money in small business aid for the PPP program.
Here’s a rundown of the Coronavirus relief provisions.
This is the breakdown of the Omnibus government funding bill.
This review fleshes out all the other matters in this gigantic bill.
LET'S BE HONEST. A 5500+ page bill is probably not how the Founding Fathers envisioned the work of the U.S. Congress. But this was how the deal was brokered in 2020. “We should govern better than this,” said Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). "This process,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), “must come to an end.” Ironically, one of the items stuffed in the bill - the creation of a National Museum of the American Latino - is something Lee blocked in the Senate last week. The bill also includes a very popular water resources bill which includes scores of local projects back home for lawmakers. And airlines are big winners, as they get $15 billion in emergency aid to keep them afloat.
GOP LAWMAKERS PLOT WITH TRUMP ON ELECTION. Not really involved in Coronavirus relief talks, President Trump instead has been holding a series of meetings in recent days at the White House, still looking to overturn the victory of President-Elect Joe Biden. And Monday in the Oval Office, a group of Republicans in Congress said they’re ready to help. “I will lead an objection to Georgia's electors on Jan 6,” said Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA), one of a group of House Freedom Caucus members who were at the White House. “Jan 6 challenge is on,” tweeted Rep.-Elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). “The fight is not over,” said Rep. Bruce Babin (R-AZ). But their ‘evidence’ of voter fraud has gone absolutely nowhere in the courts, and there’s no reason to think that’s somehow going to change in a Joint Session of Congress.
ROBERT E. LEE TAKEN DOWN. Monday morning brought the surprise news that a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee had been yanked out of the U.S. Capitol by the state of Virginia. Even with that decision, the Capitol still honors other Confederate leaders. Near the House floor are statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis (Mississippi) and Alexander Hamilton Stephens (Georgia), whose statue defiantly reads, "VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERACY." Each state gets two statues in the Capitol, and only the states can remove them. Lee will be replaced by a statue of Barbara Johns, whose protests helped lead to the landmark Brown v. Board decision, which barred racial segregation in public schools. "There is no room for celebrating the bigotry of the Confederacy in the Capitol or any other place of honor in our country," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
YES IT WAS RUSSIA. On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr said evidence points to Russia as being behind a large cybersecurity attack on the U.S. More GOP lawmakers said the same thing on Monday as well. So again, the question must be asked - why is President Trump all by himself, pointing away from Moscow?
WAITING ON A DEFENSE VETO. If President Trump vetoes a major defense bill - as expected - by a Wednesday deadline, then the House will return next Monday, December 28, to vote on a veto override. The bill passed both the House and Senate by a veto-proof majority. A successful veto override is a distinct possibility.
FROM THE HISTORY BOOKS: Nine years ago today on December 22, 2011, the House and Senate approved a two month extension of a payroll tax holiday backed President Obama as a way to help workers deal with the Great Recession.
UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
House - next vote possible on Monday, December 28.
Senate - next vote TBD (might be Sunday January 3).
President Trump has no public schedule (again) on Tuesday.
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"Conference reports may be brought up at any time, any further program will be announced later."
Boy, if this was Russia, Bill Barr would need to worry about nerve gas in his underwear!