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House Democrats aim to pass the $1.9 trillion Coronavirus relief bill on Wednesday. The piece of legislation will then be passed to President Biden’s desk and signed into law by the weekend.
The chamber received the package on Tuesday ahead of a Sund0 Comments in moderationay deadline to renew unemployment aid programs. Biden has expressed the need for this to be expedited to help Americans who’ve been struggling over the past year.
Democrats will likely pass the package without Republican votes, as the GOP questions the need for nearly $2 trillion more in federal spending. This after President Trump passed the Tax Cuts and jobs act, costing taxpayers $1.5 trillion and “enough to cause debt to exceed the size of the economy by 2028,” according to the CRFB.
The Coronavirus bill was approved in the Senate without Republican support through the budget reconciliation process.
“The Democrats, Schumer and Pelosi, need to be honest with the American people,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told WBT’s Pat McCrory Show with Bo Thompson Wednesday.
“90 percent of (the bill) has nothing to do with COVID And even some of it that something to do with COVID won’t be spent until 2027-28 around education. The more that we focus on what the wasted opportunity was to really get this economy back on track, get kids back in school, get people back in jobs, getting businesses open– the American people are going to see it and they’re probably going to reject it next year.”
A portion of the $1.9 trillion accounts for direct payments to taxpayers. The president previously said he expects up to $1,400 payouts to start hitting Americans’ bank accounts this month. It was one of Biden’s promises to voters on the campaign trail last year as part of his first 100 day plan.
Tillis acknowledged those direct payments having an impact for the American people.
“I had a reporter come up to me saying this is very popular. I said, “Why wouldn’t it be?” When has getting thousands of dollars in your mail not been popular?”
Outside of the payments, Democrats have said the legislation will cut poverty and help households afford food and rent while the economy recovers from the pandemic. While the U.S. continues to regain jobs lost during the crisis, more than 18 million people were still receiving some form of unemployment benefits in mid-February.
Listen to the entire interview with Senator Thom Tillis below.
Sen. Tillis: 90% of $1.9 trillion relief bill has nothing to do with COVID was originally published on wbt.com
