Beware the Ides of March -- U.S. Politics March 2021

this is more shrewdness than I expected from this White House

They're good at this. And the "Hey America, you're welcome" tour is coming soon, according to Politico:

Biden is scheduled to deliver his first prime-time address as president Thursday, which will focus on the Covid crisis. Later this month, he’ll hold the first press conference of his young presidency. He’s committed to making a still-unscheduled address to Congress. And officials are busy preparing for a sprawling sales campaign designed to draw attention to the benefits of the Covid-relief package. Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and others will hit the road to tout, among other things: the $1,400 checks, how billions of dollars in the bill will reopen schools, and the investments being made in increasing the numbers of vaccinations.

“There are a lot of people who use the term ‘victory lap’ in a derogatory way. I’ve already heard people saying that Biden is about to take a victory lap. Well, that’s a lot of crap,” said House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), a close Biden ally. “One of the—if not the biggest—mistakes that Obama made, in my opinion, was getting the Recovery Act done and not explaining to people what he had done.”

Biden and top administration officials acknowledged they’ll have to do more to ensure the benefits of their package sink into the public’s consciousness. And they’ve spent weeks carefully planning how best to begin their efforts while much of the country remains consumed by the pandemic. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that once the American Rescue Plan is signed, “We will need to do some work and use our best voices.”

Also, from a different Politico story (which of course tries to paint it as a bad thing), there are some other good things in the bill:

Democrats are getting an early start on their tax-increase agenda.

They’ve tucked a trio of little-noticed tax hikes on the wealthy and big corporations into their coronavirus relief package that together are worth $60 billion.

One takes away deductions for publicly traded companies that pay top employees more than $1 million. Another provision cracks down on how multinational corporations do their taxes. A third targets how owners of unincorporated businesses account for their losses.

They're good at this. And the "Hey America, you're welcome" tour is coming soon, according to Politico:

how about staying home and paying everyone $2000 a month to also stay home

They’ve tucked a trio of little-noticed tax hikes on the wealthy and big corporations into their coronavirus relief package that together are worth $60 billion.

That's a lot of money.

how about staying home and paying everyone $2000 a month to also stay home

― armoured van, Holden (sic),

Nah. Poor promotion fucked Obama in 2010. These dudes are vaccinated.

reminder to the girls of this page that I will soon have $ 1400

— wint (@dril) March 11, 2021

They're good at this. And the "Hey America, you're welcome" tour is coming soon

_They’ve tucked a trio of little-noticed tax hikes on the wealthy and big corporations into their coronavirus relief package that together are worth $60 billion._

That's a lot of money.

For something that has received that little of attention? Seems to me like a lot.

Well, no, it isn't a lot of money if we're talking guillotines.

silby, if you had $60 billion, you might get introduced to Mr. Choppy

Trump did this. 60bn is a drop in the ocean:

The bill’s cuts totaled $5.5 trillion. The corporate income tax rate shrank to 21 percent from 35 percent, and companies also won a tax break on the trillions in profits brought home from offshore.

I’m not a sovereign nation-state! xp

The COVID relief bill was the easiest thing they get to do (and it got bargained down). They still have to deal with the filibuster and move on the PRO Act in the Senate and $15 minimum wage and having the child tax credit extend beyond 2021 (and etc.).

yes they do -- so celebrate anyway

xp - honestly, my post was primarily to continue the use of the hilarious coinage "Mr. Choppy"

I’m sure I stole that from someone.

like I can see some great memetic potential combining Gritty with Mr. Choppy

another little detail about the bill i just heard about - apparently it paves the way for student loan forgiveness by providing a window (until 2026) where student loans can be forgiven without then taxing the same people on the amount that was forgiven. warren seemed very pumped about that, at least

Congressional leaders seized an opportunity to accomplish some long-standing objectives through the latest pandemic relief bill, which passed the House on Wednesday. Chief among them is eliminating the tax burden many student loan borrowers would face if any portion of their debt was discharged.

The tax relief is good only through January 2026, but lawmakers say it is a key step in canceling some of the $1.5 trillion in federal student loans held by 45 million Americans. Among the many concerns surrounding widespread forgiveness is whether debt relief would be subject to taxation, which could undermine the benefit to borrowers and ultimately the economy.

“This change clears the way for President Biden to use his authority to cancel $50,000 in student debt to provide a massive stimulus to our economy, help narrow the racial wealth gap, and lift this impossible burden off of tens of millions of families,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a statement after the Senate passed the stimulus package Saturday.

Biden in February rejected a call from Warren and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) for $50,000 in debt cancellation through executive action, citing his reluctance to forgive the education debt amassed by graduates of elite private universities. Still, the president has expressed a willingness to cancel $10,000, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration is reviewing his authority on the matter.

Warren and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) first introduced a similar bill to make debt forgiveness tax-free in 2016, but the legislation stalled in committee. The latest version of that bill is far more expansive in that it covers all student loans originated by the government and private lenders.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/03/10/student-debt-forgiveness-for-profit-colleges-stimulus/

I've been holding my fire on this thread because Joe Biden deserves the skepticism, but given Joe and the Manchins and the structural conservatism of the Democratic Party, I'm...aghast a bill of this size passed after a lifetime of living under Reaganism and Clinton's institutionalizing of same, in which Joe Biden played a considerable part. Parents with children have some cushions. Unions too. Cities get their debts paid. And the temporary protections, if we wanna be political, expire before the '22 midterms. The bill needed the $15 minimum wage, but I see no way the White House could've bent Sinema and Manchin to their will without earmarks (which might change soon!).

Where I sit now the cynicism is another form of sentimentality. And we owe Donald Trump, god help us, something for reminding the percentage of Republicans supporting he bill that debts/deficits don't matter.

Bummer, nothing stopping debt collectors from grabbing the $2000$1400 stimulus checks in this bill.

― Joe Bombin (milo z), Wednesday, March 10, 2021 3:37 PM (one hour ago)

huh?

I mean, it's okay to claim victory. Sanders and AOC and their allies deserve the credit for contributing to this moment. Celebrating doesn't represent a slackening in holding this fucking party accountable in our lil ol' message board.

by the way, i hate donald trump too

Nah. Poor promotion fucked Obama in 2010. These dudes are vaccinated.

The quote suggested the tour would be virtual (bar “an address to Congress”). And vaccinated dudes can still carry the virus.

just saying it was bad policy not to close / quarantine the borders for three months last March & pay ppl $6k to stop spreading it / save businesses. it’s bad policy not to close / quarantine the borders for three months this March & pay ppl $27k to wait for vaccinations while stimulating those businesses that have survived.

I'm not following you. Businesses along the border?

wait, how are we going from $6k to $27k? ... like we each get $27k? that would be rad.

Trump did this. 60bn is a drop in the ocean:

The bill’s cuts totaled $5.5 trillion. The corporate income tax rate shrank to 21 percent from 35 percent, and companies also won a tax break on the trillions in profits brought home from offshore.
― 𝔠𝔞𝔢𝔨 (caek), Wednesday, March 10, 2021 8:14 PM (twenty-one minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

'm sorry I wasn't clear, but for something I didn't know about before the Politico article, it is a lot. Is it enough? Obviously, it is not. If you are going to recover from the nightmare of the Trump tax cut, it's going to take, in part, small victories like these.

Celebrating doesn't represent a slackening in holding this fucking party accountable in our lil ol' message board.

Celebrate whatever you like but when shrewdness and ‘what they’re good at’ start getting tossed around for the easiest bill with the most leverage that almost became a disaster at the last minute, it might not be time to hang up the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banners.

The shrewdness of running on renewing provisions can also quite easily become “why didn’t they extend the child care tax credits that helped last year?!”

Harris / Markey / Sanders’ bill covered $2K a month for the duration - I glitched and added 12 months x $2K to another 3 months without xing that 3 by $2k. So, $30K.

Alfred - I take it things might be different in Florida, where the populace has largely declined to shut down, but dozens and dozens of businesses in my walking radius have gone bust in the last 12 months of lockdown. Cash influx to residents would enable patronage of ones that have survived, now and when more reopen post-immunity. The economy is people.

like we each get $27k? that would be rad.

Under COVID-related price increases and new costs, this would cover more than half the cost of seeing family members again btw

handy infographic

What’s partisan about this relief? Is the money going to Democrats or progressives only?

It’s exhausting for Republicans to just play distractive politics, while they lie and deny relief to their constituents. https://t.co/M6XnC8LUAq pic.twitter.com/nSy17trO4O

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 11, 2021

I don't know how many times I heard the argument that Bernie would make those outsize plans and promises so when they get inevitably negotiated down you still get a very good bill. Isn't that what happened?

oops, didn't mean to include pete staber's, uh, partisan wishlist
xp

sic, I criticized nothing -- I wasn't sure what you meant. And, no, Florida's been fucking awful. This is a state dependent on the service sector for income, so imagine the consequences wrought in the last year.

bernie would have promised a very large amount, and then stood strong and gotten ten times what he asked for as the republicans begged for mercy

Celebrate whatever you like but when shrewdness and ‘what they’re good at’ start getting tossed around for the easiest bill with the most leverage that almost became a disaster at the last minute, it might not be time to hang up the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banners.

makes you think

We're never gonna agree. With this dried aspic of a president to have gotten this much from a bare Senate majority with scaredy cats in the caucus is a rare thing. I just...understand waving a monocle at the bill's weaknesses when we consider where the party was at in 2015 before Sanders and Warren started moving it leftward. I don't offer anecdotal evidence lightly, but I can't be alone in thinking of two or three families who will automatically benefit as parents and union members from this bill, yet I'm supposed to think, "Yeah, well, suck it, you could've gotten better."

that almost became a disaster at the last minute

yes. we must not celebrate this non-disastrous accomplishment. instead, we must hold this administration fully accountable for these near-disasters that weren't disasters.

it's like criticizing an awful student who finally buckled down and earned a B on a paper for not being the good student who always submitted A papers.

Except it’s not because it’s the party in control of the US government and they don’t deserve a break!

Never!

Ever!

To acknowledge good shit is a sign of weakness, a rebuke to my lib/leftist credentials!

If they sent every American a solid gold Cadillac and a blowjob machine I’d still be like “ok but where’s my free MDMA”

Politicians never deserve gratitude unless you're the woman who Bernie stopped from getting run over.

ewww a blowjob machine

lol "gratitude" -- milo, really?

Gonna step away from the white het male posturing for a few hours.

Ahem, american white het male pls while yr categorising

sic, I criticized nothing -- I wasn't sure what you meant.

no worries, that's what I thought - likewise, I wasn't being snotty in response, just acknowledging that all of us are feeling different parts of the elephant.

If they sent every American a solid gold Cadillac and a blowjob machine I’d still be like “ok but where’s my free MDMA”

I'd be like "fuck this, make solid gold trains instead, that I can ride interstate while absolutely vibing on my free MDMA"

If they sent every American a solid gold Cadillac and a blowjob machine I’d still be like “ok but where’s my free MDMA”

― Canon in Deez (silby), Wednesday, March 10, 2021 7:07 PM (eighteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

lmao a+ post

I mean free mdma >>>> both of those other things