JimofPennsylvan
Platinum Member
- Jun 6, 2007
- 862
- 506
- 910
The legislation responding to the pandemic to provide $2000.00 checks to Americans died today for this Congress ends its term in two days and the effort to bring this bill up for a vote today was blocked in the Senate. Ordinarily, one would think for the many Americans that really need and could use this money in order for them to get it they would have to hope such a program would be included in the next pandemic relief legislation that will pass next year which realistically will take President Biden several months to negotiate. But you know if the key Democrat legislative leaders start using their thinking caps they could get a stand alone bill like they tried to pass this week enacted into law within days of President-elect Biden being sworn into the office of the Presidency. The reason being is that the majority of the American people like this legislation they see the economic destruction caused by the Covid 19 pandemic with things like the unprecedented in modern times utilization of free food distribution programs and small businesses across America teetering on or actually have incurred financial failure and they think it is needed. Similarly, this legislation uniquely has its own energy behind it in public forums the effort has taken on an air of why wouldn't a representative or Congress pass this bill, meaning if legislative leadership doesn't screw it up they should be able to pass it into law. Unfortunately, to this point the Democrat leadership has screwed it up they have drafted a bill, HR 9051, which the Republican legitimately label as "socialism for the wealthy". Democrat leadership needs to appeal to the centrist or independents in America with this legislation, it should be more targeted remember Americans living today aren't going to pay for this legislation the cost will be put on America's credit card and future generations of American will pay it off so the cost should be only what is necessary. The focus should be in trying to reach those Americans and American families whose finances have been "hit hard" by the Pandemic and been "put on the rocks" by the pandemic. The income caps should be $70,000 for individuals and $99,999 for heads of household and married couples filing jointly. Individuals and households above this threshold have not been put in crippling financial straits by the pandemic, they still have a good income. Critics might say what are you doing making the marriage filing limit so low married people will just file individually; no no no it will be treated just like the federal subsidy for individual health insurance on the ACA exchanges the thresholds are household incomes, the IRS can readily amend the form that will be addressing this payment to account for this standard. The complete phase outs should be $99999.00 for individuals and $130,000 for heads of households and married couples filing jointly while the phase out formula being on individuals for each $10,000.00 of income a reduction to the stimulus check of $500 and for the latter two groups for each additional $15,000.00 of income a reduction to the stimulus checks of $500.00. The real question for Democrats here is that when President Biden takes office do the Democrats want to try to roll over the Republicans on this issue or get some of them to join their side on this issue, pursuing an easier road to a significant success!
