Very glad this passed, in many respects it's a fantastic bill despite being pared down from what was originally proposed. Obviously the minimum wage was a big loss, and in my opinion narrowing who...
Exemplary
Very glad this passed, in many respects it's a fantastic bill despite being pared down from what was originally proposed. Obviously the minimum wage was a big loss, and in my opinion narrowing who gets checks was an own-goal that really wasn't responding to any electoral pressure. Nonetheless there's a lot of really great stuff in here. The expanded UI is great, the checks are great, obviously the money for vaccines is fantastic.
One aspect that I am most impressed by/grateful for is the new Child Tax Credit. That is money that is going direct to families, monthly, per child, and no small amount. For struggling families that will be a huge lifeline, and many estimates I've seen have it cutting child poverty in half. All things considered it was relatively cheap too. What's crazy is that it wasn't even the biggest proposal - Romney's proposal (I believe) would have seen direct checks from SSA going to parents instead of via the IRS, which is simpler and requires less hoops to jump through. The US needs to stop passing policy through the tax code! That's one reason it's so convoluted at the moment.
Press F for the $15 min wage. Not that it has much of a chance; you'd have to also yeet the parliamentarian, probably never going to happen. If they really wanted, I think the path should have...
Press F for the $15 min wage. Not that it has much of a chance; you'd have to also yeet the parliamentarian, probably never going to happen. If they really wanted, I think the path should have been something like how the ACA repeals went.
It had to be something like a tax penalty on employers paying below the new minimum wage, which would effectively force companies to pay minimum wage, but it's kinda janky. But that might have gotten passed the parliamentarian.
Still, 1.9T lot of money, and with US vaccinations at a incredible 2.9m/day this is good news for the nation as a whole. In particular, the unemployment benefits are really the most important part. The stimulus checks are weirdly popular and thus necessary, but the UE insurance boosts are keeping people alive right now.
The checks are bread and circuses. Most of the time, I despise bread and circuses, but in the bleakest of hours during a horrific pandemic, giving people a little joy and distraction may be...
The checks are bread and circuses. Most of the time, I despise bread and circuses, but in the bleakest of hours during a horrific pandemic, giving people a little joy and distraction may be incredibly useful things we can do with less than a quarter of what just passed.
I mean, the checks are also super vital for a lot of people barely holding it together right now. Even if it only covers a month's rent, maybe two if you're lucky, that's a huge huge burden off...
I mean, the checks are also super vital for a lot of people barely holding it together right now. Even if it only covers a month's rent, maybe two if you're lucky, that's a huge huge burden off people's shoulders.
Small college town out in Kansas. Most apartments around here are $400-500/mo, some with utilities, some without. I got really lucky with the place I'm in, only $300/mo with all the utilities...
Small college town out in Kansas. Most apartments around here are $400-500/mo, some with utilities, some without. I got really lucky with the place I'm in, only $300/mo with all the utilities minus internet included in that.
This is true, but where you're living is also on the low spectrum of low. My first apartment was $300 a month, well over a decade ago, in a small, semi-rural town in PA. Utilities included. It was...
This is true, but where you're living is also on the low spectrum of low.
My first apartment was $300 a month, well over a decade ago, in a small, semi-rural town in PA. Utilities included. It was a 2-story rowhome split vertically into a 1BR and 2BR. I had the 1 BR, a bathroom and open space for a bed where a dining room used to be. Yea, no door and had to walk through bedroom to get from living room to kitchen. Place was falling apart.
There are worse apartments than that less than three blocks away going for $675 with no utilities today.
The people who live in those apartments are desparate. Were probably a paycheck or two from eviction pre-covid. When I lived there, that meant the single mom trying to get by with a waitress gig and food stamps.
Thank fuck. I'm so glad that it passed, even without the $15/hour minimum wage part. A higher minimum wage is still very important, but I'm glad that the relief bill passed without significant...
Thank fuck. I'm so glad that it passed, even without the $15/hour minimum wage part. A higher minimum wage is still very important, but I'm glad that the relief bill passed without significant other changes.
I wonder if they put the $15 minimum wage in just to make the fight about that issue rather than gutting the relief package in other ways. Can we get the UBI done already so we can just forget...
I wonder if they put the $15 minimum wage in just to make the fight about that issue rather than gutting the relief package in other ways.
Can we get the UBI done already so we can just forget about wage minimums? It's a mess, and a proper implementation of UBI will make minimum wages moot - you'll be collecting your 'minimum wage' without a job, forever.
One of the ones that really sticks out to me is Senator King from Maine. I know he's technically an independent but everything I know of him seems like someone who would vote for a min. wage hike....
It's not great optics, especially for those ten Democrats who, inconceivably, voted against it.
One of the ones that really sticks out to me is Senator King from Maine. I know he's technically an independent but everything I know of him seems like someone who would vote for a min. wage hike. Although I suppose he never raised it when he was Governor, so maybe there is precedent.
The way it works is that members of Congress propose attractive amendments that will kill the bill, and then other members need to deal with the bad optics from voting down the amendment, because...
The way it works is that members of Congress propose attractive amendments that will kill the bill, and then other members need to deal with the bad optics from voting down the amendment, because they want the bill to pass. It happens all the time. You can’t really tell what these senators think about a minimum wage increase by looking at how they voted, without understanding that they didn’t have the votes to pass the bill if the amendment went in.
(Occasionally this backfires. An opposing senator proposed an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination against women, intending to kill the bill, but it passed. The senator’s true intent is debated, which goes to show how hard it is to figure out intent from legislative action.)
Also consider that Bernie Sanders probably knew going in that the amendment was doomed. But it’s a way for progressive senators to show they tried. Most senators involved probably knew which role they were playing and didn’t mind the result. (Senators voting against likely either had safe seats, or voting against might even be favorable optics in their state.)
The politics is messy, but I wouldn’t say Republicans have a stronger grip on the Senate than before. Remember, they tried to block the bill and lost.
I agree that prospects for major legislation that can’t be passed through budget reconciliation seem pretty bleak. But on the bright side, there is still quite a lot to do cleaning up the mess from the last four years.
I keep wondering at what point the Democrats get rid of the filibuster. Surely they realize that from this point forward, essentially no legislation is getting passed for the next 2-4 years if...
I keep wondering at what point the Democrats get rid of the filibuster. Surely they realize that from this point forward, essentially no legislation is getting passed for the next 2-4 years if it's not part of reconciliation (at which point the Republicans will likely get swept into power on apathetic Democratic turnout since no major policies got moved forward). It seems like the only move left they have at this point is to get rid of the filibuster and try to make DC a state to level things out a bit (or at least counteract the upcoming voter suppression laws in Georgia, Arizona, and anywhere else the Republicans deemed the last election a little too close).
I think at this stage what is more likely is a reform of the filibuster rather than outright elimination. Bring back the talking filibuster, where you literally need a Senator up there talking if...
I think at this stage what is more likely is a reform of the filibuster rather than outright elimination. Bring back the talking filibuster, where you literally need a Senator up there talking if you want to prevent a bill from being passed. Manchin said he would support (or, "look at that") in an interview recently, and I think you could get the whole caucus on board. Make the filibuster harder but still possible essentially.
Compared to just ten years ago when democrats had a twenty vote lead in the Senate though, or considering that republicans managed to gain Senate seats in goddamn 2018, I think the...
The politics is messy, but I wouldn’t say Republicans have a stronger grip on the Senate than before. Remember, they tried to block the bill and lost.
Compared to just ten years ago when democrats had a twenty vote lead in the Senate though, or considering that republicans managed to gain Senate seats in goddamn 2018, I think the characterization of a strengthening stranglehold is pretty accurate. Even if we abolish the filibuster, which is basically impossible due to the slimness of our majority and the uselessness of the so-called moderate republicans giving every democratic senator a liberum veto, every democratic senator will still have a veto unless we significantly expand our majority. And if there's one thing centrist democrats love, it's hurting the party by torpedoing popular legislation, so growing that majority is a tall task.
Yes, the long-term trend is still bad, but in the short term it's looking up a bit. I guess it depends on how long you look back when making comparisons?
Yes, the long-term trend is still bad, but in the short term it's looking up a bit. I guess it depends on how long you look back when making comparisons?
Very glad this passed, in many respects it's a fantastic bill despite being pared down from what was originally proposed. Obviously the minimum wage was a big loss, and in my opinion narrowing who gets checks was an own-goal that really wasn't responding to any electoral pressure. Nonetheless there's a lot of really great stuff in here. The expanded UI is great, the checks are great, obviously the money for vaccines is fantastic.
One aspect that I am most impressed by/grateful for is the new Child Tax Credit. That is money that is going direct to families, monthly, per child, and no small amount. For struggling families that will be a huge lifeline, and many estimates I've seen have it cutting child poverty in half. All things considered it was relatively cheap too. What's crazy is that it wasn't even the biggest proposal - Romney's proposal (I believe) would have seen direct checks from SSA going to parents instead of via the IRS, which is simpler and requires less hoops to jump through. The US needs to stop passing policy through the tax code! That's one reason it's so convoluted at the moment.
Press F for the $15 min wage. Not that it has much of a chance; you'd have to also yeet the parliamentarian, probably never going to happen. If they really wanted, I think the path should have been something like how the ACA repeals went.
It had to be something like a tax penalty on employers paying below the new minimum wage, which would effectively force companies to pay minimum wage, but it's kinda janky. But that might have gotten passed the parliamentarian.
Still, 1.9T lot of money, and with US vaccinations at a incredible 2.9m/day this is good news for the nation as a whole. In particular, the unemployment benefits are really the most important part. The stimulus checks are weirdly popular and thus necessary, but the UE insurance boosts are keeping people alive right now.
The checks are bread and circuses. Most of the time, I despise bread and circuses, but in the bleakest of hours during a horrific pandemic, giving people a little joy and distraction may be incredibly useful things we can do with less than a quarter of what just passed.
I mean, the checks are also super vital for a lot of people barely holding it together right now. Even if it only covers a month's rent, maybe two if you're lucky, that's a huge huge burden off people's shoulders.
Depending where you live, it can be more. As a lone college student in a tiny basement apartment, that's a little over 4 months rent.
Wow, where do you live if you don't mind me asking? Even the small studios near me go for close to $1k a month.
Small college town out in Kansas. Most apartments around here are $400-500/mo, some with utilities, some without. I got really lucky with the place I'm in, only $300/mo with all the utilities minus internet included in that.
This is true, but where you're living is also on the low spectrum of low.
My first apartment was $300 a month, well over a decade ago, in a small, semi-rural town in PA. Utilities included. It was a 2-story rowhome split vertically into a 1BR and 2BR. I had the 1 BR, a bathroom and open space for a bed where a dining room used to be. Yea, no door and had to walk through bedroom to get from living room to kitchen. Place was falling apart.
There are worse apartments than that less than three blocks away going for $675 with no utilities today.
The people who live in those apartments are desparate. Were probably a paycheck or two from eviction pre-covid. When I lived there, that meant the single mom trying to get by with a waitress gig and food stamps.
Thank fuck. I'm so glad that it passed, even without the $15/hour minimum wage part. A higher minimum wage is still very important, but I'm glad that the relief bill passed without significant other changes.
I wonder if they put the $15 minimum wage in just to make the fight about that issue rather than gutting the relief package in other ways.
Can we get the UBI done already so we can just forget about wage minimums? It's a mess, and a proper implementation of UBI will make minimum wages moot - you'll be collecting your 'minimum wage' without a job, forever.
One of the ones that really sticks out to me is Senator King from Maine. I know he's technically an independent but everything I know of him seems like someone who would vote for a min. wage hike. Although I suppose he never raised it when he was Governor, so maybe there is precedent.
The way it works is that members of Congress propose attractive amendments that will kill the bill, and then other members need to deal with the bad optics from voting down the amendment, because they want the bill to pass. It happens all the time. You can’t really tell what these senators think about a minimum wage increase by looking at how they voted, without understanding that they didn’t have the votes to pass the bill if the amendment went in.
(Occasionally this backfires. An opposing senator proposed an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination against women, intending to kill the bill, but it passed. The senator’s true intent is debated, which goes to show how hard it is to figure out intent from legislative action.)
Also consider that Bernie Sanders probably knew going in that the amendment was doomed. But it’s a way for progressive senators to show they tried. Most senators involved probably knew which role they were playing and didn’t mind the result. (Senators voting against likely either had safe seats, or voting against might even be favorable optics in their state.)
The politics is messy, but I wouldn’t say Republicans have a stronger grip on the Senate than before. Remember, they tried to block the bill and lost.
I agree that prospects for major legislation that can’t be passed through budget reconciliation seem pretty bleak. But on the bright side, there is still quite a lot to do cleaning up the mess from the last four years.
I keep wondering at what point the Democrats get rid of the filibuster. Surely they realize that from this point forward, essentially no legislation is getting passed for the next 2-4 years if it's not part of reconciliation (at which point the Republicans will likely get swept into power on apathetic Democratic turnout since no major policies got moved forward). It seems like the only move left they have at this point is to get rid of the filibuster and try to make DC a state to level things out a bit (or at least counteract the upcoming voter suppression laws in Georgia, Arizona, and anywhere else the Republicans deemed the last election a little too close).
I think at this stage what is more likely is a reform of the filibuster rather than outright elimination. Bring back the talking filibuster, where you literally need a Senator up there talking if you want to prevent a bill from being passed. Manchin said he would support (or, "look at that") in an interview recently, and I think you could get the whole caucus on board. Make the filibuster harder but still possible essentially.
Compared to just ten years ago when democrats had a twenty vote lead in the Senate though, or considering that republicans managed to gain Senate seats in goddamn 2018, I think the characterization of a strengthening stranglehold is pretty accurate. Even if we abolish the filibuster, which is basically impossible due to the slimness of our majority and the uselessness of the so-called moderate republicans giving every democratic senator a liberum veto, every democratic senator will still have a veto unless we significantly expand our majority. And if there's one thing centrist democrats love, it's hurting the party by torpedoing popular legislation, so growing that majority is a tall task.
Yes, the long-term trend is still bad, but in the short term it's looking up a bit. I guess it depends on how long you look back when making comparisons?