#BREAKING: The White House and Senate leaders struck a major deal early Wednesday morning over a $2-trillion package to provide a jolt to an economy struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic, capping days of marathon negotiations that produced the far-reaching measure.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 25, 2020
Schumer called it "the largest rescue package in American history. … This is not a moment of celebration — but of necessity."https://t.co/IUYMkDNXzI
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 25, 2020
Per the Washington Post:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced the breakthrough on the Senate floor around 1:30 a.m., after a long day of talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other administration officials…
The legislation, unprecedented in its size and scope, aims to flood the economy with capital by sending $1,200 checks to many Americans, creating a $367 billion loan program for small businesses and setting up a $500 billion fund for industries, cities and states.
Other provisions include a massive boost to unemployment insurance, $150 billion for state and local stimulus funds and $130 billion for hospitals.
McConnell said the Senate would pass the legislation later Wednesday. With the House out of session, action there could take longer, depending on whether lawmakers can agree to pass the bill by “unanimous consent,” which would require agreement from all members of the chamber…
Mnuchin said President Trump would “absolutely, absolutely, absolutely” sign the bill.
The package would extend extraordinary taxpayer assistance to potentially millions of American and companies that have been hammered by the fast-moving economic crisis. The bill is being rushed through Congress without public hearings or formal review, and it’s unclear how effective the measures would be in arresting the economy’s sudden fall…
The Senate bill would direct payments of $1,200 to most American adults and $500 to most children, create a $500 billion lending program for companies, states and cities, and extend an additional $367 billion to help small companies deal with payroll problems. It would bolster the unemployment insurance system and pump $150 billion into U.S. hospitals. The bill more than doubled in size in just a few days…
It sounds like the Democrats fought off the worst of the GOP’s kakistocrats, but of course the devil is in the details, and the devil votes the Repub ticket. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst…
SCHUMER >> "After sleep-deprived nights and marathon negotiations, we have a bipartisan agreement on the largest rescue package in American history."
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) March 25, 2020
/2 More: “The children, spouses and in-laws of the aforementioned principals are also included in this prohibition.”
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) March 25, 2020
The disagreement isn’t over how much—it’s over *who* benefits. Senate Democrats want to help hourly workers, service industry employees and small businesses. Senator McConnell wants to bail out corporate executives and Donald Trump himself.
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) March 22, 2020
OzarkHillbilly
So when am I getting my
bribe... I mean covid relief fund check?germy
Chyron HR
AAAARGH! “The White House struck a deal with the Senate” isn’t a THING! The Senate is a 100%* subordinate body to the President. There’s no deal until the House agrees to a deal. That’s like saying Trump struck a deal with Jared Kushner!
* Okay, 53% subordinate, but for all practical purposes it’s the same thing.
Baud
@Chyron HR:
Senate leaders includes Schumer. Don’t know why Pelosi was left out though.
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone ???
Baud
@rikyrah: Good morning.
rikyrah
@Baud:
They thought that they could work around Nancy Smash, and that she would be forced to agree with whatever the GOP wanted.
Phuck Outta Here???
Baud
@rikyrah:
Dems stayed strong. Even Manchin!
debbie
Yep, like this “Treasury Inspector General” who will make sure the funds are properly distributed. There is no one in this administration capable of ensuring that. I don’t care what the wording is; I’m willing to bet Trump will find a way to get his greasy paws on a large chunk of funds for his businesses.
gene108
Can’t wait for the media & Republicans to start bitching that the House isn’t in session, & why doesn’t Nancy Pelosi call everyone back, because Democrats complained Mitch let the Senate out for a long weekend, when the House passed a stimulus bill two weeks ago.
mrmoshpotato
@rikyrah:
Nope! SMASH! :)
Baud
@gene108:
House is going to ask for unanimous consent. It’ll probably be a republican who objects.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: Too many cooks spoil the soup. It is safe to assume Schumer consulted with her early and often.
zhena gogolia
Has anybody seen Martin? I’m a little concerned I didn’t see him here yesterday.
mrmoshpotato
No idea for the lockout, but, yes, assfungus.
debbie
Wonder if this is a Floriduh Man-in-training?
OzarkHillbilly
Clinics in Ohio and Texas ordered to stop ‘nonessential’ surgical abortions I’ve never heard of a ‘nonessential’ surgical abortion. Kinds of like suspending ‘nonessential’ surgical appendectomies.
WereBear
@OzarkHillbilly: They take no prisoners.
debbie
@OzarkHillbilly:
Yep, and Ohio Right to Life (loudest anti-abortion group) is demanding that the clinics turn over their gowns, masks, etc. to hospitals.
These guys are making PETA seem like marshmallows.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Gohmert!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@zhena gogolia: He was around during the late night hours.
germy
But it looks like he’s saying this from isolation:
Steeplejack
This is no way to run a country—gigantic emergency measures slapped together in the middle of the night and shot out of the legislative cannon with no real review or oversight.
Yes, I realize that this is an unprecedented emergency that requires unprecedented action. But maybe, maybe, we could learn something going forward (as we should have or could have learned something before now). Maybe—just spitballin’ here—at some calm point in the future, a legislative committee or even an appointed commission could come up with a contingency plan for what to do in a similar crisis. Maybe not down to the nth detail, but fairly detailed and well thought out. At least it would be a starting point for the midnight hysteria. Golly, maybe they could even do the same for other potential crises.
I admit that I’m in a slightly sour mood this morning, at least about this. I see legislators on both sides preening over their monumental achievement, which seems to consist of organizing a bucket brigade to toss water in the general direction of a raging house fire after ignoring fire safety for years.
I saw this a lot in my checkered past in software development. Problem bubbles under the surface for a long time, warnings ignored, and then when it erupts everybody goes to battle stations to cope with the crisis. High fives and congrats for everybody after the crisis is dealt with, but the underlying problem is not really addressed or just has a few new Band-Aids on it. Blecch.
The meta is that our legislative process is broken. The Republicans have not done a thing in 10 years except obstruct any progress on anything—oh, yeah, they did blow a trillion-dollar hole in the national debt with their corporate tax giveaway—and the Democrats have been largely reduced to triage and small improvements on the margins. And a lot of the current members of Congress have no memory of a time when Congress operated “normally”—like with an actual budget, say.
rikyrah
@germy:
Yep, saying all his bullshyt from isolation???
germy
OzarkHillbilly
@germy: “Hey Glenn, you are free to off yourself anytime you feel like it. You can even do it in the privacy of your own home. In fact, please, do it in the privacy of your own home.”
Steeplejack
@rikyrah, @Baud:
Grumpy good morning. ?
bemused
@debbie:
I also saw pic of young woman licking airplane toilet. The same type of dumbasses that would also attend a coronavirus party. No words for this lunacy.
Anonymous At Work
Unclear which of two reasons for not including House leaders: Trump cannot stand Pelosi at all, or this was just to get past the Senate hurdles.
Pelosi passing a modified version with sharper oversight and balancing it more towards worker compensation and UI might be the idea, force the Senate to compromise further towards Democrats. The problem with that maneuver is that Trump could end up getting so mad at Nancy Smash that he vetoes it or blows things up.
Tough times, folks.
SFAW
@Baud:
Although he’s a Senator, Ferret-head Paul will probably try to be the one, after licking all the normally-touched surfaces in the House chamber, and coughing on Speaker Pelosi (and other Dem stars), because even though his test came back positive, his extensive medical training told him the COVID-19 fairies will protect … someone.
mrmoshpotato
@debbie: COVID-19 or not – toilets are toilets.
(Stand by for Obama WTF/shrug link)
Geminid
McConnell thought he could bum rush a bill through Sunday night, but Pelosi, Schumer et al withstood the pressure. They know that this economic crisis, and the medical crisis underlying it, will take many months if not years to resolve. There will be more legislation this year that addresses Covid-19 problems, but I suspect that the real beginning of recovery will be next January, when a new President and a new Congress take office.
mrmoshpotato
@bemused: Smack them in all their bones.
Immanentize
@Steeplejack:
Good morning, Starshine!
germy
@rikyrah: He says he “would rather have my children stay home and all of us who are over 50 go in and keep this economy going and working even if we all get sick.”
But he doesn’t “go in” anywhere. His “job” is sitting in front of a microphone and talking. Doesn’t he broadcast from his man cave, like Rush L.?
If he’s really into shared sacrifice, let’s give him a job in a crowded warehouse full of coughing co-workers.
mrmoshpotato
@Geminid:
Will Russthuglicans sacrifice themselves to appease the NASDAQ gods?
lee
How is everyone fairing? I was wondering if any of the jackals or immediate family has gotten sick.
So far everyone in my family is doing well. My wife and I both feel a bit tired this morning. No fever at all, just a but worn down. She had to go to work (veterinarian). I’ll continue to work from home.
germy
LGM
Steeplejack
@mrmoshpotato:
Possibly related to this:
Baud
@Geminid:
I for one can’t wait to nitpick everything they do!
germy
Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus
OzarkHillbilly
Ummm yeah. We tried to do that, or at least begin to. You know what happened? Trump’s staff cuts have undermined Covid-19 containment efforts, watchdog finds
So long as one of our 2 major political parties continues to do everything they can to limit govt to the most finite of powers, we are doomed to repeat history because we sure as hell won’t be allowed to learn from it.
SFAW
@Steeplejack:
In a rational world, your comments would be spot-on. Hell, in THIS world, they are as well. But as you noted, the obstacle of having a party dedicated to destroying the “liberal ideal” (or however you want to phrase it) is exceedingly difficult to overcome. Especially when there’s no “citizenship test” they need to pass in order to be allowed to hold office.
There was some latter-day philosopher — Rawls, maybe? — who said something akin to “don’t institute policies on the weakest (or others) that you would find onerous applied to yourself.” Sort of a golden-rule thing, and I think I’m over-simplifying, but you get the idea. If the Rethugs ever started behaving that way, this country might survive without having to destroy the Rethug Partei. [Where’s {{{Cassandra Leo}}} these days?]
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Steeplejack: Good morning sunshine.
mrmoshpotato
@Steeplejack: Hot! Damn!
Paging Waste Management, we catapulted your boy James into one of your dumps.
Amir Khalid
@germy:
Not really surprising. Charles’ job — and it is a job — involves many public events and private meetings, and it’s hard to avoid close contact with people without defeating its purpose.
Immanentize
@SFAW: Cassandra was last seen by me at LGM
zhena gogolia
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Oh, good.
mrmoshpotato
@Immanentize: Good morning, starshine
SFAW
@Immanentize:
OK, thanks. Haven’t been to LGM in awhile. [Browser issues, don’t ask.]
SFAW
@mrmoshpotato:
It’s a bit disconcerting, and a bit scary, that that was my first (quasi-) mental response as well.
Nicole
@lee: My downstairs neighbor is sick, and a friend of hers who is staying with her until Wednesday of last week tested positive for COVID 19 yesterday. My son was downstairs playing with her son, one of his best friends, until, let’s see, Wednesday of last week. Crap. None of us have any symptoms so far, but we are obviously doing 14 days quarantine from the time we last had contact. Sigh. Time to fire up the exercise-in-your-living-room app on my phone.
My neighbor doesn’t know if she also has COVID-19, because, though she’s been sick a few days she has no fever, but I think as her friend has now tested positive, she’ll be able to get a test. But we’ll see. It’s hardest on her son, who went to visit his dad for the weekend (and now has to stay there for a spell) ‘cause he misses his mom. ☹️
Dorothy A. Winsor
@germy:
Hey, your choice, Glenn. Who am I to get in your way?
In shelter-in-place news, today is condo cleaning day. We’re very excited because it’s like an event. It’s something to do!
mrmoshpotato
@SFAW: Or – that’s a great Simpsons episode. :)
WereBear
@mrmoshpotato: This was a cheerful note.
Paired, of course, with the edict by tRump that he’s fine with the state of NY (my state) going straight to hell. So there!
Steeplejack
@lee:
I have been monitoring my own condition in a slightly OCD way after flying cross-country twice since March 12. So far so good. Haven’t been out of the bunker since midday Saturday, but I will have to make a grocery run in the next few days.
I turned down an invitation to Sighthound Hall this past weekend. I don’t think Bro’ Man realizes that I probably need to distance myself from him. He’s an ophthalmologist at a large HMO clinic, and he has been seeing patients right up to this week. He did text this morning that he’s down to two or three patients a day; they have canceled all elective and non-emergency stuff. He said they are going to start taking (forced) leave in rolling waves, “then the shit will hit the fan on the other side.”
Don Beal
The stimulus passes. Trump signs and then proceeds to do whatever he damn well pleases with the money. “Impeach me if you don’t like it”. Democrats whine. Never saw that coming they say!
Baud
@WereBear:
Cuomo should seize Trump Tower by eminent domain and use it as a morgue.
Baud
@Don Beal: And the True Left pleasures themselves with dreams about how they would have done better. Like Art of the Deal for Progressives.
Immanentize
@mrmoshpotato:
Willy Wonka
mrmoshpotato
@WereBear: Apparently President Stupid doesn’t know where the New York Stock Exchange is.
Immanentize
@Baud: I think you mean, “”Leftovers”
mrmoshpotato
@Immanentize: Loompas are best when oomphaed.
germy
Amash weighs in:
Immanentize
@mrmoshpotato: This is a puzzlement. People who run the Nation’s financial infrastructure all live in Blue States — New, York Illinois, California, Connecticut, etc. Is he making friends there?
germy
Immanentize
@germy: Yes, but will he make everyone come back to DC to vote for it?
Mary G
What I want to know is did they get the vote by mail in November money? Republicans on Twitter have been completely hysterical about the massive voter fraud.
SFAW
@mrmoshpotato:
He figures Lloyd Blankfein et al. live in Joisey.
Jeffro
@Steeplejack:
Ay-men. I have started tell folks on social media and emails that from here on out, we are practicing for next time. And in theory, just think of how much smoother (and less deadly) that will be…if the right people are in charge.
germy
@Mary G:
JMG
As long as I’ve been alive, hell, as long as the country has existed, the United States of America has had only two basic operational modes, dead stop and full panic. I do not think that will ever change.
Jager
My good BIL’s business partner’s daughter was skiing at Vail. She tested positive, he’s self quarantined. BIL is nervous, so is my sister.
mrmoshpotato
@Immanentize: Is that a serious question?
Orange skidmark is being an orange skidmark.
OzarkHillbilly
Except for all the things DEMs did infact do to limit trump’s ability to engage in fuckery, I’d say this comment is spot on. In other words, as usual you’re completely full of shit.
germy
@Immanentize: McConnell said he’s against allowing the chamber to vote remotely.
EDIT: I just saw this:
I suspect Joe Concha is one of those Hill journalists who is anti-Pelosi, so grain of salt, etc.
Baud
@mrmoshpotato:
satby
@Don Beal: Bernie still AWOL from his job up in Vermont?
Immanentize
@germy: Also, ironically? for the House to create a vote from home rule change, they must all gather to take a vote in the chamber on the rule change.
Catch 22 is one hell of a catch. The best there is.
Chyron HR
@Don Beal:
I don’t understand how Bernie skipping work to hang out on Twitch with “Grandson” failed to make a progressive bill pass.
lee
@Steeplejack: LOL I’ve been doing the same. I take my temp morning, lunch and right before bed.
No fever at all. But I do have a really great idea of what my average baseline is (97.7).
Gin & Tonic
Ukraine has just announced that its nationwide quarantine is extended to April 24. That’s a week past Easter, which is a very big deal in that country.
Immanentize
@Gin & Tonic: my Ukrainian Easter Eggs prove that.
germy
@satby: Preparing for his next debate.
The Thin Black Duke
Do we know if folks on SSI/SSDI are eligible for the $1200?
bemused
@germy:
Suddenly “death panels” are trending with R’s but now they are ok with that.
Immanentize
Play nice, y’all. Off to get some work done I hope.
OzarkHillbilly
@The Thin Black Duke: Pretty sure the answer is yes.
Gin & Tonic
@mrmoshpotato: Embarrassed to admit that assfungus James Woods is an RI native. But I think he’s unloaded his property here and hasn’t set foot in the state in ages. We don’t miss him.
JCJ
@Baud:
Yesterday I attended a Webinar regarding COVID-19 in the health care system where I practice. The infectious disease physician who spoke stated that the CDC started discussing preparation in January. I know one of the system VP’s spoke of preparation at a meeting I had to go to about five weeks ago.
germy
@bemused:
SFAW
@Gin & Tonic:
So you’re saying they’re NOT all godless commies?
In a rational country, a real President would look at that, think about it for a second or 10, and realize the whole “re-opening ‘Murica by April Fools’ Day” thing might be a tad premature.
But here we are.
Jeffro
@germy: Sounds like Steve M needs to read “The Republican Noise Machine” during his down time. They’ve had almost 40 years to practice this schtick…it’s hardly a surprise at this point.
OzarkHillbilly
@germy: I can’t wait for the commercials come October.
Jeffro
They’re so stupid. What do they think, Joe Schmoe from Kalamazoo’s eighteen photocopied ballots (filled out by illegal immigrants, in their minds) are all going to be counted when they arrive in the county election office? That Democratic “thugs” are going to go around making Granny and Pa fill their ballots out the ‘right’ way before mailing them all in a big sack?
Who am I kidding? Of course they do.
germy
@Jeffro: Here’s my guess: He’s read that book and knows this, but still wants to put the question out there for the newer twitter generation to ponder.
I could be wrong, though.
bemused
@germy:
I’d sure like to know. Evil bastards.
Jeffro
@germy: let’s see what he says ;)
PenAndKey
Meanwhile, in the rural Wisconsin food plant I help manage I’ve overheard 6 different conversations among employees just this morning about how “this will be over by Easter”. This, despite the fact that we literally started the statewide full isolation orders yesterday and that both I and corporate have been hammering home that, despite the fact we’re “essential services” and have to work, this is serious and won’t be over for months.
Gee…. I wonder where those guys get their daily news from?
The Thin Black Duke
@germy: Thing is, what’s the point? We already know that right-wingers lie, they hate us and they want us to die. This is why progressives need to stop engaging in pointless dialogues, recognize them as the enemy and respond accordingly.
Chyron HR
@germy:
Oh, the newer generation of Twitter leftists has the same relentless message discipline as the GOP. Unfortunately, their talking points also come from the GOP.
Don Beal
@OzarkHillbilly: Never a miss a chance to be intolerant. It keeps the juices flowing for some.
The Thin Black Duke
@Don Beal: Goodbye.
OzarkHillbilly
@Don Beal: I wish you’d keep your juices to yourself.
evodevo
@Jeffro: Yes. That was a great book, and every word in it is true to this day…
SFAW
@Don Beal:
Wow. Sick burn, BBro! [Or whatever it is the kids say.]
Thanks for sharing your extremely valuable insights, by the way. We’ll be certain to give them all the consideration they merit.
Cameron
@PenAndKey: They might well be right that it will be over by Easter. Just not in the way they think.
SFAW
@OzarkHillbilly:
He would, but they’re a little low on kleenex in his neck of the woods. Panic buying by all the 101st Fighting Keyboarders, I expect.
cmorenc
Consider how often the benefits of such prudently wise governance are casually undone, frittered away, or egregiously misappropriated by recklessly unwise or corrupt leadership. Under Obama, there existed a Pandemic group precisely to plan for a potential crisis like this, but Trump dissolved it a couple of years ago. Under Clinton, the federal budget came into surplus (with real prospects for paying down the national debt in relatively prosperous times over the next decade or so). Then Bush came along and gave it away with massive tax cuts to the wealthy, and then initiated a disastrously expensive war in Iraq (and by relative neglect, set up Afghanistan to be another disastrously expensive, prolonged war). And even if Biden becomes President and makes substantial progress toward repairing the country post-Trump, there’s another Republican bozo waiting in the wings someday to wreck it all.
NotMax
@SFAW
The frickin’ Pope announced cancellation of Easter stuff in St. Peter’s Square like two weeks ago. Guess the Gingriches neglected to pass that tidbit on to the White House.
WaterGirl
@Nicole: oh no! that’s worrisome.
I cancelled Henry’s appointment with the groomer two weeks ago because she had seen her mom the day before and her mom had contact with someone who had been diagnosed.
I called her yesterday, and she and her mom are both well. So that’s encouraging.
Another Scott
@Chyron HR: +1
The BBC News chyron used the same framing. It’s like the House and Democrats don’t exist.
It’s infuriating.
We must vote the monsters out to get out of this stupid, deadly timeline…
Cheers,
Scott.
SFAW
@cmorenc:
Well, there’s always the possibility that Biden could issue an executive order — or Congress could pass a law, if the Dems take back the Senate — where all elected Rethugs are deemed terrorists, and they get deported to Dumbfuckistan, along with their moronic, traitorous supporters. [Yeah, I know, redundant.] Wall off Dumbfuckistan, then drop in a load of AR-15s (or equivalent), a bunch of COVID-19-positive MAGAts, and enough N95 masks to support about 3 percent of the population. Problem solved.
NB: I have typically suggested that Dumbfuckistan be created from [the former] Texas, but I’m open to alternative suggestions, especially because I have liberal relatives in Austin.
Another Scott
@Geminid: +1
There’s much more legislation coming. At this point, we’re trying to plug the hole in the bottom of the boat and find ways to share the criminally insufficient life jackets. The bailing and drydock repairs start in January.
Cheers,
Scott.
Omnes Omnibus
@SFAW: There is a reason that Oklahoma is the last place we stole from the Native Americans. Just saying.
artem1s
@germy:
tl;dr Shorter Beck – I’m losing my shirt in the crash and don’t have any other revenue stream.
catclub
Stock buybacks are one way to present a gift to shareholders, but there are myriad others. ‘Extraordinary Dividend’ springs to mind. Or simply changing the normal dividend amount.
management that has future ( not yet exercised) options, likes buybacks, which boost the future stock price.
catclub
If all the masks in warehouses had expiration dates of 2007, Obama did not completely cover himself in glory.
Feathers
@catclub: Susan Collins cut the pandemic funding out of the budget in 2009, and apparently later as well, so there’s your reason. Republicans were in charge through 2008, so…
EthylEster
Senate aid package quietly carves out billions intended for Boeing, officials say
Washington Post 2 hours ago.
J R in WV
@germy:
I think we would all rather Glenn Beck die than that he do anything else.