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Republicans urge Biden to change course on stimulus
When a bipartisan Senate coalition helped clinch a coronavirus relief bill last year after months of gridlock, it was supposed to be a model for governing in the Biden era. But now Democrats’ surprise takeover of the Senate threatens to leave the group behind.
Democrats are vowing to move forward on a new stimulus package as soon as next week, with or without Republicans. Though Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have not officially said they plan to pursue a party-line approach through budget reconciliation, many Democrats now believe that’s the only way forward.
Republicans in the bipartisan coalition are crying out for President Joe Biden to change course and embrace his long-standing bipartisan inclinations. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said a message from Biden to put the brakes on reconciliation “would be very helpful. And I think it’s what he believes.”
...
Of course, Republicans sidelined Democrats twice with reconciliation in 2017 after winning control of Washington under former President Donald Trump. And many have panned Biden’s $1.9 trillion legislation as too big and too stuffed with progressive proposals like increasing the minimum wage and expanding sick leave.That chilly attitude from Republicans has informed Democrats’ thinking. They don’t want to get bogged down in endless negotiations in Biden’s first 100 days, particularly after seeing the last coronavirus relief bill take eight months to pass. While a bipartisan compromise would be preferable, Democrats say, they won't let that supersede the needs of the country.
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Democratic leaders aren’t hiding their plans. The House and Senate are expected to pass budgets next week, which will unlock reconciliation procedures and allow passage of legislation with 50 Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie breaking vote.
...“We just saw the biggest economic contraction in 100 years,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). “It’s unlikely we will see another big relief package after this one and so we have to deliver.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that Republicans could support a reconciliation bill too if they so choose and that Biden isn’t giving up hope that it could be a bipartisan package: “There’s no blood oath anybody signs."
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Republicans see things differently.“I don’t think there’s a single Republican who would vote for the $1.9 trillion bill,” said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), a member of the bipartisan coalition. “There may be some appetite for Covid relief legislation that encompasses parts of that… but as a total bill, it’s not likely to get Republican support.”
Though the White House considers its proposal a targeted one, Psaki said, Biden is open to having conversations with lawmakers about adjusting any component. Some senators have pushed for limiting whether high-income people qualify for a $1,400 stimulus payment.
Senate Democrats also insist they would prefer GOP support. But if it means waiting much longer with no progress, they’re ready to move forward, citing the need for immediate relief.
Personally, given how long it took to deliver the latest relief package and how "phenomenal" the Obamacare was "replaced" after 4 years, I'd be highly tempted towards 'If you drag your feet today, fuck off, no bi- this time, we have work to do'. But then again, I'm not a politician and I'm not sure that would be the best course.
What would you, fellow soylentils, prefer: to bipartisan or not to bipartisan the $1.9T covid package?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @12:20PM (20 children)
There is some scheme to short squeeze gamestop that could end up taking out brokerages and even clearinghouses. Robin Hood is probably done at least. This could be a big market crash that will be used to further limit the rights of regular people.
Women and others with uterus are saying the covid vaccine is fiddling with it. The scientists are silent on this. What is going on?
There was some chance Trump would do something interesting, but this current batch of clowns is just going to continue the standard graft and corruption as the debt and spying grows.
(Score: 4, Informative) by c0lo on Saturday January 30 2021, @01:50PM (17 children)
Plenty of chances for him to have done something for Joe Average.
'rona aside, did you know that, starting from 2021, the lower income bracket would have contributed to deficit reduction while the upper bracket would continue to suck from the budget [wikipedia.org]?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @01:59PM (16 children)
Who cares? The government budget is falsified anyway. It is all BS. They write down they used money to cure cancer in children but actually spend it on classified spy satellites or bioweapons labs.
https://constitution.solari.com/fasab-statement-56-understanding-new-government-financial-accounting-loopholes/ [solari.com]
There is no reason to believe anything these professional liars say.
(Score: 3, Touché) by c0lo on Saturday January 30 2021, @02:03PM (15 children)
Trump included or not?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @02:07PM (14 children)
In what world would Trump not be a professional liar?
One day you are going to get that knock. "Sir, we have reason to believe you have been exposed to the covid virus".
Then as they have you curl up into a fetal position on your couch and stick a Q-tip up your butt, you will still be thinking of Trump.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday January 30 2021, @02:32PM (11 children)
Maybe not [google.com]
I don't know. Just that too many Americans like into so many alt-realities that I have to specifically ask, rather than assume, be it only because asking saves time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @02:37PM (10 children)
There are fewer cases in China than Australia and they are already anal swabbing thousands of people. All it takes is being in the same store as someone who was in there earlier and up the shoot it goes.
Also, please use a real search engine. Not Google.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday January 30 2021, @02:50PM (9 children)
False. All Australia's cases are currently only happening in quarantine, from repats.
Or from tennis players that were infected on the way here and who are still in isolation.
The Australian Open will allow for up to 30,000 spectators a day (50% of the normal capacity) [reuters.com]. For now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @03:07PM (8 children)
From worldometers.
Australia: 29,000 cases and 1,000 deaths. Population 26 million
China: 89,000 cases and 5,000 deaths. Population: 1,400 million
If Australia had same pop as China that would be 1.5 million cases and 50,000 deaths.
Each case probably has 10 contacts on average yielding 15 million anal swabs. Thus your chance of an anal swab is about 15/26, or 58%.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday January 30 2021, @03:18PM (4 children)
Active cases may require a swab and there are none in the community. So, as I said, maybe I won't be visited by swabbers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @05:42PM (3 children)
There are none according to nasal swabbing. China has switched to anal swabbing because cases were being missed that way.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday January 30 2021, @09:49PM (2 children)
It's not like a cluster of infection will manifest when only tested for, is it? Because if it were to be so, we wouldn't need no stinky vaccines.
So far, no manifestations of 'rona infection in the community.
None at the sewage monitoring points too. And those are extensively used already (to the point that now, being in place, they also act as warning system for drugs consumption in private homes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 31 2021, @07:24AM (1 child)
Everything you are saying makes me think it is more likely someone will come stick a swab up there. And you will be ok with it.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday January 31 2021, @07:37AM
Well, mate, I can't control your fantasies. Not that I'd want to.
Which suddenly makes you point quite well aligned with the title of the thread (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 1, Touché) by khallow on Saturday January 30 2021, @09:48PM (2 children)
Your shitty math is going to require an anal swab to make sure it cleared the system (it's 15/1400 ~ 1%, dude). You're truly an inspiration to us all.
And if China is expending so much energy to develop anal swabbing infrastructure for its population, then maybe there's something they're not telling us?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 31 2021, @07:27AM (1 child)
The math was wrong on purpose. Colo don't do math we learned.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday February 01 2021, @05:01PM
(Score: 2, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Saturday January 30 2021, @02:38PM (1 child)
Did you say "q-tip"? Think McDonalds "supersize me". https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Flickr_-_The_U.S._Army_-_Pugil_stick_fight.jpg [wikimedia.org]
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2, Funny) by c0lo on Saturday January 30 2021, @02:52PM
Nostalgically reminiscing, eh, Runaway? (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 1, Interesting) by khallow on Saturday January 30 2021, @06:47PM
Well, if it causes the universe to end first, then we won't risk such a dire outcome. /sarc
Is this supposed to be a serious question? What are the clinical symptoms of "fiddling"? And which covid vaccine are you referring to? The Putin one which is a known [duckduckgo.com] uterus fiddler?
How about you drop the other shit and just go with the genuine problem?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 31 2021, @09:09PM
ISA/Socialist Party (Ireland): Stock Market Gambling: The Billionaires Own the Casino [internationalsocialist.net]
ICFI/Socialist Equality Party: Behind the GameStop stock frenzy [wsws.org]
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday January 30 2021, @03:03PM (10 children)
Of course a bipartisan bill would be better. It would in theory have less radical bullshit in it. That's precisely why it's almost never a good thing when one party grabs both houses and the presidency. Even barely. Even for just a couple years.
And don't even start with comparing US domestic policy to the rest of the world (by which you mean Canada, Oz, western Europe, and nobody else). Instantly doubling minimum wage is radical, period. Sick leave and wages are not even legitimately the province of the federal government as they are overwhelmingly not Interstate Commerce. And since that's an illegal power grab from the states, I consider it pretty radical.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday January 30 2021, @03:24PM (5 children)
Why is this verboten? Not like US is the single federal state, so that can't be a reason.
Not even when sick leave is a matter of public health?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 3, Interesting) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 31 2021, @01:34AM (4 children)
Because what "the rest of the world" is doing has no bearing on what we do here. Morality and wisdom are not derived by consensus of your peers; they are your responsibility entirely.
Nope, not even then. Nothing in the constitution gives the government the power to make law based on matters of public health. Any powers not explicitly granted to the feds by the constitution or subsequent amendments are reserved to the states or the people. See #10A.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday January 31 2021, @05:27AM (3 children)
Consensus, not necessarily, but it may happen.
Whatever defines the moral power** in your social group? Always.
** most of the time, in stable social groups, the moral norms are determined nowadays by the majority of the people in the group. And making those norms happen in reality comes from by peer pressure (which is the power that make the moral norms happening).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 31 2021, @05:43AM (2 children)
Our social group is the people of the US. You can do things however you like in your house. I don't really care unless you try to push some GDPR bullshit on us except for the occasional chuckle and head shake at what those wacky Europeans are doing now. But this is our house and you can fuck entirely off with the idea that you should have any sway on what we decide for ourselves.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday January 31 2021, @05:50AM
You mean... the Democrats nowadays. (large grin)
Anyway, based on the explanation that you provided (thank you), there's nothing to stop me and I actually can "compare US domestic policy to the rest of the world" any time I like in any aspects that I consider relevant (e.g. the effects).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Sunday January 31 2021, @05:02PM
Yeah well, what goes in the US should stay in the US...
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 31 2021, @02:44AM (2 children)
The EU is actually a good comparison. Why doesn't the EU set a pan-european minimum wage? Because that would be fucking stupid when the range is so wide. If half the country would consider the poorest state's reasonable minimum wage to be intolerably low, and half the country would consider the richest state's reasonable minimum wage as a "good job", no national minimum will work well.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 31 2021, @05:45AM (1 child)
Bingo. You can raise a family on $15/hr in TN. You're not going to be eating ribeyes whenever the mood strikes you but it's not horribly onerous either.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday January 31 2021, @07:34AM
Which means that, once TN businesses start to pay the legislated $15/h:
- they'll raise the prices, so that you'll have to put more soul in your fishing and actually catch something to put on the table
- if the cost of living in TN remain still lower than in, say, LA or Seattle, there'll be a blue wave from the coast competing with you for the jobs. Have you learned Rust already, TMB? If not, those SJW will passive-aggressively suggest you to "learn to program" then sign on the CoC.
Only a matter of time, TMB, don't say I haven't warned you.
(large grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by dry on Tuesday February 02 2021, @03:13AM
I'd imagine that it is like Canada, the Federal government can and does have a minimum wage and sick leave for Federal government employees. In theory they could for the Territories too, but by convention, they're treated like a Province. Likewise your Federal government can set a minimum wage for DC, Guam and perhaps Puerto Rico, as they are not States, whether they would, I don't know.
The whole idea is leading by example, something leaders worldwide can do even if they don't have the legal authority to push it.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Saturday January 30 2021, @04:11PM (4 children)
If the democrats actually opposed the republicans they would do what they were voted in to do a dozen years ago. They now have another opportunity to squander. If they fuck this one up, don't anybody act too surprised when a leaner meaner *Trump* wins in the next cycle
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @06:24PM (3 children)
Trump is only the escape goat.
(Score: 2, Informative) by fustakrakich on Saturday January 30 2021, @08:11PM
The phenomenon that makes people like him popular is very real
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @11:07PM
Possibly, but does he have a scapehatch, or a scapepod?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 31 2021, @01:35AM
That was a really baaaa'd pun.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 30 2021, @05:07PM (1 child)
If it were only about the budget, directly and specifically about the budget, I could have seen a case for reconciliation procedures.
But it's not. They larded it up in an omnibus we-want-what-we-want bill. If they got for that, they're just waving their hands and saying that budget reconciliation is just another lie in a train of thousands.
The real problem would be that if they used reconciliation to pass their omnibus wishlist, they'd be openly declaring their contempt for the system within which they're supposed to be working - and if they do so, why should their opposition in the street bother any more? If the rules aren't rules any more, it's game on, right?
That would be a terribly dangerous precedent to set.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Saturday January 30 2021, @08:25PM
It's no big thing. If people don't like it, they can just vote these guys out and put the other ones back in again.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Saturday January 30 2021, @08:23PM
There's no compelling reason to pass this package at all. Add up all the serious proposals like vaccination support and throwing a wad at every citizen in the US, and you barely get within an order of magnitude. I'm comfortable letting my serious crises go to waste.
Now, if the package were an order of magnitude smaller and denser, I'd have less opposition to it. But that's not going to be a matter of bipartisan versus partisan.
(Score: 2) by Mojibake Tengu on Sunday January 31 2021, @07:21PM
Printing money is not a big deal in USA, at any sum. May be as well 4T, 8T, 16T... that does not matter.
But, what should be those ideal money spent for?
And, more importantly, who will provide the real material resources for the price?
Because, you all guys could spent the above sum for just some funky lawyers suing each other for intellectual property rights (say, patents to vaccines), thus famously increasing GDP by 2T on paper but get actually nothing real out of it. Nothing real for the people, I mean.
The edge of 太玄 cannot be defined, for it is beyond every aspect of design