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from the a-billion-here-a-billion-there-pretty-soon-you're-talking-about-real-money dept.
Biden signs $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, making $1,400 checks and child tax credit official:
President Joe Biden on Thursday signed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which includes a third stimulus check, for up to $1,400, and an expanded child tax credit. The IRS and Treasury will begin to send the new stimulus checks as soon as this weekend, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday at a press briefing.
The bill signing comes just one day after the amended bill passed in the House by a vote of 220-211. The House initially passed the bill on Feb. 26, and the Senate approved it last week, albeit with some changes.
[...] Democrats had been pushing to get the stimulus package signed into law before current unemployment benefits expire March 14. Biden was originally scheduled to sign the bill on Friday, but it got moved forward after Congress sent the final bill to the president more quickly than anticipated, Psaki said on Thursday.
The stimulus package, called the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, includes changes made by the Senate last week, such as reducing income limits for the third stimulus payment and lowering proposed weekly unemployment benefits from $400 a week to $300 a week (though they'd extend through Sept. 6 rather than the end of August). The Senate also dropped a federal minimum wage increase from the legislation, but proponents say they'll reintroduce that at a later date.
How to watch President Biden's national address tonight.
House passes $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill, sends it to Biden to sign:
[...] Here are the proposal's major pieces:
- It extends a $300 per week jobless aid supplement and programs making millions more people eligible for unemployment insurance until Sept. 6. The plan also makes an individual's first $10,200 in jobless benefits tax-free.
- The bill sends $1,400 direct payments to most Americans and their dependents. The checks start to phase out at $75,000 in income for individuals and are capped at people who make $80,000. The thresholds for joint filers are double those limits. The government will base eligibility on Americans' most recent filed tax return.
- It expands the child tax credit for one year. It will increase to $3,600 for children under 6 and to $3,000 for kids between 6 and 17.
- The plan puts about $20 billion into Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing and distribution, along with roughly $50 billion into testing and contact tracing.
- It adds $25 billion in rental and utility assistance and about $10 billion for mortgage aid.
- The plan offers $350 billion in relief to state, local and tribal governments.
- The proposal directs more than $120 billion to K-12 schools.
- It increases the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit by 15% through September.
- The bill includes an expansion of subsidies and other provisions to help Americans afford health insurance.
- It offers nearly $30 billion in aid to restaurants.
- The legislation expands an employee retention tax credit designed to allow companies to keep workers on payroll.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 12 2021, @05:07PM (3 children)
the decadence narrative
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 13 2021, @04:46PM (2 children)
No, more like self indulgence. And it's not a narrative, it's reality. The easiest measurable metric is obesity. Nobody wants to become obese, and you don't become obese without over-indulgence, by definition. Yet we're rapidly reaching the point that the *majority* of the nation will be obese. People are losing any notion of self control, discipline, or restraint.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 14 2021, @02:13AM (1 child)
Not necessarily true. A significant number of obese are likely due to bacterial infection. If efficiency jumps, and nobody tells you, is it your fault when you become obese?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 14 2021, @01:51PM
By efficiency I assume you mean energy efficiency.
And yes, it's your fault. Anybody over the age of 30, perhaps 40 at the latest has experienced that your 'energy efficiency' changes dramatically, and what is technically in a very good way. Your body is able to produce enough energy for your day-to-day consumption with far fewer calories. Awesome survival benefit. But of course this also means that if you keep eating what you used to, you will become overweight, and gradually obese.
And it sucks. I *love* eating, and my wife is an unbelievably good cook. Yet, because my energy efficiency increased - I am forced to eat only a fraction of what I used to, to maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is difficult, requires extensive discipline, and means you no longer get you enjoy food the way you used to. It sucks. But it's life. You gain the self discipline, or you turn into a disgusting blob and shave potentially decades off your lifespan for it.