Written by Michael Palomba
The recently passed $2 trillion coronavirus relief stimulus package—known as the CARES Act—is being touted by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Objections made before the bill was passed seem to have faded from conversation, despite their importance. I think this bill has some monumental flaws and I struggle to understand how they were overlooked.
First off, and this affects me personally, 18-24 year olds who can be claimed as dependents do not qualify for the $1,200 stimulus check. Notice that I italicized ‘can’; that’s because even if you filed as an independent, you don’t qualify if someone can legally claim you. I believe I speak for everyone in the 18-24 age range when I say that we need these checks, probably more than most.
I am responsible for my own rent, my own bills, my own food, etc. In addition, I am having trouble finding a job as a direct result of coronavirus. The stimulus checks are much needed by many 18-24 year olds like myself, and excluding us feels like a stab in the back. This decision will have real consequences on this age group and the effects could be long lasting.
Next, Democrats worked in $9,600 in extra payments for individuals on unemployment. They allotted $600 per week for four months, which is simply outrageous. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) had major concerns over this, and I do as well. It legitimately makes unemployment more attractive than working, and that is never the incentive we want. It also adds insult to injury considering individuals on unemployment will collect $9,600 over the course of four months, but 18-24 year olds were denied even one $1,200 check.
Adding to my dissatisfaction with the bill, having an income limit act as a disqualifier for the stimulus checks was the wrong method. The way it is set up now, an individual making $75,000 or less is eligible for $1,200. As one’s income gets closer to $99,000, the amount gradually decreases and eventually reaches zero. These income thresholds double for joint-filers. The problem here is that much of the money is being given to the wrong people.
Someone who was making $75,000 before the coronavirus pandemic and has not been laid off does not need a stimulus check. However, someone who was making $120,000 before the crisis and has since been laid off is likely in desperate need of money. Under the CARES Act, the first individual—who doesn’t need assistance—gets a check, while the other does not. Again, why are some people getting more than they need, while those aged 18-24 are being completely left out?
I was originally quite happy with the passage of the bill. On its surface it sounded good and it’s always nice when something has bipartisan support. But after more details arose and I was able to dive deeper into it, this bill needed some serious changes and I don’t think it should’ve passed.
I have to assign much of the blame for this awful bill to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She didn’t seem to take it seriously and was more focused on sneaking in liberal policies that have absolutely nothing to do with coronavirus. Some of these included ballot harvesting, diversity measures, bargaining power for unions, airline carbon restrictions, and even canceling all the debt owed by the U.S Postal Service. It’s a mystery to me why she included these things and why there is not more public outrage around her using a worldwide emergency to advance an unrelated political agenda. Nonetheless, with this nonsense as the starting point for negotiations, it’s not much of a mystery as to why the bill is so flawed. I have no doubt that without liberal intervention, a much better bill would’ve been put forward.
Now Pelosi is talking about another stimulus bill, not even a week after this one was passed. She has already mentioned some of her priorities for the bill, which include rolling back the state and local tax (SALT) deduction limit included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Rolling back the SALT limit primarily benefits the wealthy, providing “a quick cash infusion in the form of increased tax rebates to an estimated 13 million American households — nearly all of which earn at least $100,000 a year.” Pelosi has baselessly called out President Trump as someone who’s trying to make the rich richer. Meanwhile, here she is advocating for just that. The hypocrisy amazes me.
I find it truly insulting that she tried to include all of those controversial and unrelated measures in an emergency package—a package aimed at helping a country in crisis. To me, it shows how low she and other Democrats in our government are willing to go to push their agenda. I didn’t see any “poison pills” like that coming from Republicans.
November is quickly approaching and this is an election year like no other. No one knows exactly what effect the coronavirus will have on the many factors in play in an election. But what I do know is that we need to get Speaker Pelosi and other power-obsessed Democrats out of office. The substandard $2 trillion stimulus bill shows that we need officials whose priorities are America and the American people, not their personal agendas. This could’ve been a much better bill, I hope I don’t need to say that for the next one.
