True. But they knew it would never pass the Senate. That was after the Republicans were trying to negotiate with the Dems on a bill. The Dems wanted 3+ trillion (if memory serves) and the Republicans wanted 800 billion (again if memory serves). The republicans came up to 1.1 trillion? Neither side wanted to budge after that and the House passed the HEROES act.

Edit: I confused the CARES act with the HEROES act so I edited the above. The CARES act was bipartisan and passed by both the House and Senate on March 6, 2020.

And I'd have to disagree with you. But that's the beauty of America. As a family who did not NEED the first stimulus check, I can tell you it helped greatly. We were able to purchase a curriculum for homeschooling our daughter, do a small remodel do provide a school station for her, and a playground set that my wife and I built for the kids since they obviously could not go to public parks anymore. So, as with most in our tax bracket who qualified for checks, all of that money went back into the economy to support businesses and a school system. Without the stimulus we still would have bought a curriculum obviously, but would not have built a desk/study center for her, and certainly not bought the play set as it didn't fit into the budget.

PPP being used as cheap/free loans. This has been reported on over and over again. Some companies who make the press are guilted into the returning the money, but most fly under the radar.

Edit: BTW, those PPP loans are perfectly legitimate/legal. They did not do anything unlawful accepting those loans. From Osteen to Tom Brady they were qualified to take those loans under the letter of the law. I just think it's a stupid law designed to aid large businesses get cheap cash under the guise of helping employees. 500 employees is a lot of people and hardly what I would call a small business. Besides that, small businesses in the form we think of traditionally, mom and pop shops/strip mall businesses, and restaurants aren't helped by the loans as much. Their employees were typically making lower wages and would make more money on unemployment so chose not to stay with the business. I have family who did exactly this.

Again, ^ all of that stupidity could be avoided by giving the money directly to tax-payers. Some napkin math: 180 million tax payers * 2000/month for 6 months = $2.16 trillion. That's quite a bit less than the ~$3.5 trillion that the 4 coronavirus related bills have cost tax payers so far. And I just looked it up, there are only ~145 million tax payers so the savings would be even greater.

Currently the government will shut down at midnight tonight. If no program is approved by then there will be no more negotiation unless there is an extension.

The checks are intended to stimulate the economy. Yesterday they were discussing increasing the $600 to $700. Economists think the checks should be $1,200. Trump wanted the amount to be $1,200 but backed off based on input. The thinking is those employed will spend at least some of the money on goods and services, helping some of those businesses that are in trouble which could result in more jobs.

Biden has said he will address another package as soon as he takes office. Some Senate republicans have stated they will not vote to keep the government open if it means they have to agree to a package that is more than they think appropriate.

Our government is the perfect definition of dysfunctional.

Precisely. The only ones who qualify make $90k or less I think it was? Don't know what the new package details look like or if they will lower the cutoff. But anyone (most will anyway) with a family of 4 will spend that money out of necessity. They aren't going to save it. It's going to be used as if it were an immediate pay raise by their employers and put back into circulation.

If Dems were thinking ahead they would pass almost anything the Senate offers to just get something done. Then deal with another package later after the new administration takes over.

Correct. x1000.

And again it comes down to my theory that this is all dumb (and more expensive) compared to just having tax payers get money each month. I'm conservative when it comes to spending, but if the government is going to borrow money and increase the debt, I'd like to see it benefit the largest group of taxpayers possible and at least drive the economy.

^That's all armchair quarterbacking obviously. But no one has presented me a position as to why that would not be more beneficial than the convoluted/wasteful garbage they passed. The only thing I hear is that it will be a dis-incentive for people to work. Which makes no sense to me because they will be getting that money whether they work or not (unlike the extra fed unemployment). Who in their right mind wouldn't keep working and get paid double? I'm sure there might be a very small minority who would think that way, but the amount of money I am talking here isn't going to make anyone rich. $2000/mo? It's just enough to help families who really need it pay for rent and food each month. And just enough to be extra income for the people still working who can then spend it and stimulate the economy. And it's cheaper for the tax payers... I can't see a downside. And trust me, I've tried. I want to pay down the national debt, not raise it. :dunno:

The concern about the dis-incentive to work is aimed at those that have low paying jobs and therefore their unemployment check is next to nothing. With the $300 their income could be more than if they go back to work. That assumes they can find a job and that the majority on unemployment don't want to earn their own way. Regardless that argument doesn't hold water-the $300 is not permanent. The real focus by the republicans, in this case, is to attempt to reduce the unemployment roles so the economy looks as though it is rebounding.

The restriction that the $600 is limited to incomes under $75,000 reduces the number of people that will see the check as expendable income. Not good.

The program was not passed until the last minute because the parties talk at each other rather than with each other until a few hours before the deadline. Until then it is all posturing and trash talk. The end result is a program that is only temporarily effective or universally falls short for all Americans. The fact that it adds to the stress of those in financial trouble and all of us due to COVID 19 environment never gets the spotlight as it is entrenched in a battle of opposing party goals. It never gets to be about serving the needs of all Americans. Obviously there are exceptions in both parties but other than a few those individuals still vote along party lines.

The goal of negotiation is to reach a win-win, what is good for all involved. Negotiation takes willingness, understanding the position of the other side and lots of time. There is no win-lose. Letting it lay stagnant until it comes down to wire is not negotiation so all that is left is lose-lose and all suffer the consequences.

Seriously?? Trump is reportedly meeting with Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell, asking about martial law idea

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-rep...062121690.html

And that's not all.
https://news.yahoo.com/more-300-000-...130842353.html

More than 300,000 Trump supporters plan to join virtual ‘second inauguration’ event on 20 January

We know that Donald Trump is thoroughly unfit to serve as the POTUS, but he is becoming more and more unhinged. His wallowing in his spiteful, vindictiveness is leading him down the proverbial rabbit hole that continues to make a mockery of our country's accepted and tradition political norms, let alone our moral and ethical values. His continued mental state of denial, refusing to publicly accept his defeat in both the popular vote and Electoral College vote, is shameful enough. Now his reported speculative discussions with his few remaining loyal, radically crazy, Looney Toon sycophants/advisors regarding considering declaring Martial Law and/or attempting a doomed-to-fail attempt to prevent Congress from validating the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021, is truly frightening.

In his latest moves over the past several days, issuing massive quantities of presidential pardons of his friends, extended family members, confidents, loyalists, along with those who have justly been convicted of crimes, let alone those who admitted and plead guilty, is quite astounding in a very negative sense. His pardon actions makes a total mockery of the rule of law since it is a blatant corruption of justice in our society. His most recent set of tweets, threatening to veto the Congressional compromise bill that would provide approx. $900 billion to many Americans most in need, is heartless and wrong. He insistence that the $600 checks to citizens earning less than $75,000 is controversial enough, but fly's in the face of what the majority of Republicans are wiling to do at this time. I believe that Trump's motivation is just a personal message and vendetta to Congressional Republicans, especially Mitch McConnell, who have dared declare that Joe Biden is now our president-elect. I also think that Trump's actions are making the re-election of the two Republican Senators in Georgia, less likely. If Mike Pence had any character, integrity and patriotic honor, he would lead the effort to invoke the Constitution's 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office immediately, so he cannot inflict any further harm on our country....! Of course, that will not happen and we just have to hold our breath to see what a desperate, angry and delusional Donald Trump does in the remaining four weeks before he has to leave office.... God help us all!

AVB-AMG

Didn't the bill was pass with a veto proof majority so it could be made law no matter what Trump wants. Or is that not correct?

I know Pelosi and other Dems have come out in support of Trump (gasp) for wanting more money to tax-payers. I think they are taking the opportunity to put Republicans on the spot for not rewriting the bill with more funding. Both sides need to ignore Trump and just enact the damn thing already. They are holding the American public hostage for political gain.

Not time enough for a 25th amendment attempt to boot him. $900 billion bill was passed by congress but Trump has not signed or vetoed it. It is in limbo. House will quickly pass an amendment to the bill raising the checks to $2000. Senate has said they won't sign it. I think it is less than 50-50 chance Trump will sign the original bill unless we make it look like he is signing his golf card. I expect we haven't seen near the extent of his rage. The electoral college declaring Biden the winner will take it to a new level and when the supreme court refuses to hear his request to reverse the decision or votes it down it will be yet another boost. Trump is incapable of empathy. There are no limits to his revenge.

Heartless bastard. He knew deep in his heart that senate won’t pass the $2,000 check provision. He wants to look good in front of the poor and the needy. It’s all for show.

The current 900 billion compromise is the best we could hope for And that took nearly 9 months to reach.

Trump’s involvement at the last minute is not helping the relief package at all, he’s only creating more conflict and partisanship.

The only thing he’s good at.

The only way to counter a narcissist is to deny him a stage to vent his bs. The minute the American people start to see through his bs is the day he withers away in infamy.