Democrats have continued to block consideration of legislation that would provide crucial emergency relief to Americans who are suffering from the Coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis. Aid included in the Senate bill blocked by Democrats includes:
- Direct payments to the American people ($1.2K/person, $2.4K/couple, $500/child)
- $350B for small businesses·$250B in unemployment insurance
- $100B for hospitals
- $4.5B for the CDC·$11B for vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other preparedness needs
- $5B for FEMA Disaster Relief Fund·$1.7B for Strategic National Stockpile·$12B for the military
- $20B for Veterans health care
- $12B for K-12 education
- $6B for higher education
- $10B for airports
- $20B for Public Transportation Emergency Relief
Democrats are using this emergency legislation to force adoption of some of their most controversial and ideologically driven priorities. Rather than work together to do what’s right at a time of great national emergency, Democrats are trying to exploit this crisis by insisting items like the following be included in the bill:
- Expansive new tax credits for solar and wind energy
- New emissions standards for airlines and requirement of full offset by 2025
- Increased collective bargaining and carve outs for Big Labor
- Required same-day voter registration and early voting
- A bailout for the U.S. Postal Service, for the union pension fund, and for student loans
- Retirement plans for community newspaper employees
- Publication of corporate pay statistics by race and race statistics for all corporate boards
- A requirement for companies receiving assistance to impose job-destroying $15/minimum wage
- $1B “Cash for Clunkers”-style program where government buys planes from airlines
- $1.5M to study climate change mitigation efforts in civil aviation and aerospace industries
- New burdensome OSHA requirements on hospitals
- $1Bto build on program expanded by President Obama that provides discounted phone service for low-income consumers
The American people deserve action now. Lives and our economy are on the line. It is indefensible that Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer are blocking emergency aid in order to push a political agenda.