Dems must overcome GOP opposition to deliver much needed financial relief

Polls show that 76% of Americans like the coronavirus relief bill, including 60% of Republicans. It includes $1,400 stimulus checks, improved unemployment benefits, $350 billion in aid to state and local governments, tax credits for children, money to schools, $8.5 billion to distribute vaccines, and relief for small businesses. The bill is popular among Republican mayors and governors, whose governments cannot borrow to make up for tax revenue lost because of the pandemic and the billions in deficits they’re facing. As one conservative mayor said, relief isn’t a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. It’s a public health, economic, and public safety issue. As Congressman Jody Hice complained before casting his NO vote to provide relief for us, there is unspent money from previous coronavirus relief bills. But here’s the thing: that unspent money has been allocated to be distributed among programs designed to spend it over a period of time. Such as, the Paycheck Protection Program, which is held in reserve for employers to apply for funds from it; enhanced medical matching funds to be distributed as the pandemic requires; and tax breaks to be spent as people file their tax returns. This is a bill that should’ve gotten Hice’s and some other Republican votes. But it didn’t. They claim it’s partisan. But the problem isn’t the bill. The problem is Republican lawmakers, who are determined to oppose anything Democrats propose. In spite of the opposition, Democrats are going to make sure the majority gets what they need — relief. Harper Kindle

Statham