Democrat Swag in Speaker Pelosi’s COVID-19 ‘Wish List’ Gift Bag

It didn’t take long for Democrats to not let another crisis go to waste.

On a Thursday conference call featuring more than 200 members of the House Democratic caucus, lawmakers one by one laid out a sweeping wish list of provisions they want to see included in the nascent package, including a boost in infrastructure spending, an expansion of Social Security benefits and funding for states to set up an all-mail voting system in the event the pandemic extends into November’s elections.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision,” Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told lawmakers, according to a source on the call.
The Hill, 3/19/20

While President Trump and his COVID-19 response team are trying to come up with a plan to directly help the American people, devastated in almost every facet of daily life, Democrats have decided to do what’s best for them and protect their #resistance.

Federal employees appear to be as partisan as the rest of the nation; just 5 percent of GOP feds approve of their ultimate boss — President Obama — while 91 percent disapprove. About 8 in 10 Democratic respondents gave Obama’s performance positive reviews, while 11 percent disapproved.
Government Executive, 8/14/15

It was boasted in 2016 the amount in the federal government that are Hillary Dems, so they now have to be well taken care of seeing how obtaining yet another Continuing Resolution to keep the government running will be increasingly difficult. As evidenced by the bill Speaker Nancy Pelosi presented to Republicans, the federal government and their preferred are very well taken care of. Left wing nonprofits will fare well while nothing was offered to anything perceived conservative.

(The entire bill was 1,432, so this is a partial representation of legislation supposedly designated Coronavirus relief for the American people….)

As you read through the following, ask yourself how this helps one person laying in a hospital bed, fighting to breathe and wondering if he or she will even be around the next morning, how this will help them in their moment of horror?

SHORT TITLE: “Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act”

The obviously took care of the real priority FIRST….

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SALARIES AND EXPENSES

For an additional amount for “Salaries and Expenses”, $25,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, except that $5,000,000 shall remain available until expended, for necessary expenses of the House of Representatives to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

“An additional amount….” We all knew they’d take good care of themselves!

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
SALARIES AND EXPENSES

For an additional amount for “Salaries and Expenses”, $55,000,000, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, to supplement amounts otherwise available for the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Program.

FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
SALARIES AND EXPENSES

For an additional amount for “Salaries and Expenses”, $4,000,000, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For an additional amount for “Salaries and Expenses”, $80,000,000, to remain available until expended, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, for efforts on potential medical product shortages, enforcement work against counterfeit or misbranded products, work on Emergency Use Authorizations, pre- and postmarket work on medical countermeasures, therapies, vaccines and research, and related administrative activities.

Unlike previous government shutdowns where federal employees are trotted out in front of cable news cameras, fretting where their next meal was coming from, they should be well fed through next year.

SEC. 10102
The first amount under “Child Nutrition Programs” in Division B of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116–94) is amended by striking “$23,615,098,000” and inserting “$32,615,098,000”.

Whenever you see the word “program”, we’re probably talking about money going to a topheavy nonprofit, and in this case, paying first for their salaries and overhead before feeding one kid whose eligibility they decide at their comfortable pace.

SEC. 10105
In addition to amounts otherwise made available, $200,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, shall be available for the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa for nutrition assistance.

Remember what happens to disaster supplies that arrive in Puerto Rico. That fiasco has yet to be fully resolved, yet lots more taxpayer money is coming.

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES

For an additional amount for “Operations, Research, and Facilities” for necessary expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, $33,200,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021.

Weather reports will be extremely important over the next year and a half….

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
SAFETY, SECURITY AND MISSION SERVICES

For an additional amount for “Safety, Security and Mission Services”, $100,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

As well as the effect of Coronavirus in space.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

For an additional amount for “Research and Related Activities”, $100,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically and internationally, including to fund research grants and other necessary expenses.

Lots of education establishments arrive in D.C. to present PowerPoint presentations for yearly research grants. Of course, many are going to find innovative ways to tie COVID-19 into… something.

LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
PAYMENT TO THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

For an additional amount for “Payment to the Legal Services Corporation” to carry out the purposes of the Legal Services Corporation Act by providing for necessary expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, $100,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021.

The Legal Services Corporation is… a nonprofit of lawyers.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
ENERGY PROGRAMS
SCIENCE

For an additional amount for “Science”, $99,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, for necessary expenses related to providing support and access to scientific user facilities in the Office of Science, including equipment, enabling technologies, and personnel associated with the operations of those scientific user facilities.

Sure. Whenever you see the word “personnel”, a good portion will go to union dues-paying, liberal American Federation of Government Employees.

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
DEPARTMENTAL OFFICES
SALARIES AND EXPENSES

For an additional amount for the Department of the Treasury/”Salaries and Expenses”, $100,000,000 to remain available until expended, for the necessary expenses to establish and support a COVID–19 Stimulus Accountability and Transparency Board to conduct oversight of funds provided in this Act in order to monitor spending, provide transparency to the public, and help prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

Salaries….

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT

For an additional amount for “Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Program Account”, $200,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, to promote economic recovery due to the impact of coronavirus through financial assistance and technical assistance.

These funds will be dispersed at the discretion of friendly and approved, local nonprofits and bleeding heart matching-funds corporations to those they have selective pity on.

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
TAXPAYER SERVICES

For an additional amount for “Taxpayer Services”, $236,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus: Provided, That not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a spend plan for such funds.
OPERATIONS SUPPORT
For an additional amount for “Operations Support”, $324,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus: Provided, That not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a spend plan for such funds.

Don’t ya just love it! The IRS gets billions of dollars and have a month to tell us all how they’re going to spend it.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
SALARIES AND EXPENSES

For an additional amount for “Salaries and Expenses”, $200,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus by providing to health care providers telecommunications services, information services, and devices necessary to enable the provision of telehealth services during an emergency period.

More salaries….

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
BUSINESS STABILIZATION LOAN PROGRAMS

For an additional amount for the cost of direct loans authorized under section 8 of the COVID–19 Relief for Small Businesses Act of 2020, such sums as may be necessary to make up to $100,000,000,000 in direct loans through September 30, 2022, to remain available until expended, and for an additional amount for the cost of guaranteed loans authorized under section 9 of the COVID–19 Relief for Small Businesses Act of 2020, $100,000,000,000, to remain available until expended.

Some of us remember how involved it was attempting to fill out an SBA loan application. They didn’t even have to ask.

NEW MARKETS VENTURE CAPITAL PROGRAM
For an additional amount for the “New Markets Venture Capital Program” for the costs of grants and guaranteed loans authorized under the part B of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, such sums as may be necessary, of which $2,000,000,000 shall be for grants authorized under section 358 of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 and such sums as may be necessary to guarantee $10,000,000,000 in debentures, to remain available until expended.

Grant writing is an art because funding is usually limited. You know how many people are probably writing proposals at this very moment, finding as many reasons to include the word “Coronavirus”?

ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
For an additional amount for “Entrepreneurial Development Programs” for grants to small business development centers, women’s business centers, and chapters of the service corps of retired executives, as authorized under section 14 of the COVID–19 Relief for Small Businesses Act of 2020, $240,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, of which $190,000,000 shall be for grants to small business development centers and $50,000,000 shall for grants to women’s business centers and chapters of the service corps of retired executives.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For an additional amount for “Salaries and Expenses”, $805,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to carry out the requirements of the COVID–19 Relief for Small Businesses Act of 2020, of which $80,000,000 shall be for marketing, management, and technical assistance under section 7(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(m)(4)) by intermediaries that make microloans under the microloan program, and of which $25,000,000 shall be for resources and services in languages other than English.

More salaries and grants.

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
PAYMENT TO POSTAL SERVICE FUND

For payment to the “Postal Service Fund”, for revenue forgone due to the coronavirus pandemic, $20,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022.

There should be no rate increases or price hikes, right?

NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM
For an additional amount for “National Forest System”, $33,800,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including for personal protective equipment, for cleaning and disinfecting public recreation amenities and for necessary expenses related to cybersecurity, the provision of telework ready equipment, and Information Technology help desk personnel.

“Forest”, “cybersecurity” and “telework”… something doesn’t sound right here.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
SALARIES AND EXPENSES

For an additional amount for “Salaries and Expenses”, $7,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for cleaning, security, information technology, and staff overtime, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

For an additional amount for “Operations and Maintenance”, $35,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for operations and maintenance requirements related to the consequences of coronavirus: Provided, That notwithstanding the provisions of 20 U.S.C.76h et seq., funds provided in this Act shall be made available to cover operating expenses required to ensure the continuity of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and its affiliates, including for employee compensation and benefits, grants, contracts, payments for rent or utilities, fees for artists or performers, information technology, and other administrative expenses.

How many of you woke up today and thought going to the museum, let alone a hoity-toity concert hall most of us will never go to?

NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION

For an additional amount for “Grants and Administration”, $300,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for grants to respond to the impacts of coronavirus.

Because during these uncertain times, you can NEVER have enough art no one wants to buy.

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
MEDICAL SERVICES

For an additional amount for “Medical Services”, $14,432,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including related impacts on health care delivery.

Their efficiency rating before Coronavirus was sketchy at best and now they have even more money to mismanage.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

For an additional amount for “Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program”, $90,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

Have there been any reports of any connection between COVID-19 and AIDS?

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
CDC–WIDE ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAM SUPPORT

For an additional amount for “CDC–Wide Activities and Program Support”, $5,500,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2024, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE

For an additional amount for “National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute”, $103,400,000, to remain available until September 30, 2024, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
For an additional amount for “National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases”, $550,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2024, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally.

While an infusion into the CDC is logical, will Democrats also provide huge amounts of money directly to people who get splinters or stub their toes, etc.?

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE

For an additional amount for “Low Income Home Energy Assistance”, $1,400,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for making payments under subsection (b) of section 2602 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981.

PAYMENTS TO STATES FOR THE CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
For an additional amount for “Payments to States for the Child Care and Development Block Grant”, $4,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including for Federal administrative expenses, which shall be used to supplement, not supplant State, Territory, and Tribal general revenue funds for child care assistance for low-income families.

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVICES PROGRAMS
For an additional amount for “Children and Families Services Programs”, $4,302,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021.

One thing that continues to amaze are the number of agencies and administrations within the federal government. The Founders would be ready to kick someone.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
STATE FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND

For an additional amount for “State Fiscal Stabilization Fund”, $30,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022. That a State’s application shall include assurances that the State shall maintain the wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment set forth in any collective-bargaining agreement between the eligible entity and a labor organization.

SAFE SCHOOLS AND CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION
For an additional amount for “Safe Schools and Citizenship Education”, to supplement funds otherwise available for the “Project School Emergency Response to Violence program”, $200,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including to help elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools clean and disinfect affected schools, and assist in counseling and distance learning and associated costs.

Many states have announced the end the school year as far as physical presence on campus, so there should be very “safe schools”. This is about making sure teachers have no reason to strike for the next year and a half.

GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY
For an additional amount for “Gallaudet University”, $7,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including to help defray the expenses (which may include lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance learning, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll) directly caused by coronavirus and to enable grants to students for expenses directly related to coronavirus and the disruption of university operations (which may include food, housing, transportation, technology, health care, and child care).

HOWARD UNIVERSITY
For an additional amount for “Howard University”, $13,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including to help defray the expenses (which may include lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance learning, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll) directly caused by coronavirus and to enable grants to students for expenses directly related to coronavirus and the disruption of university operations (which may include food, housing, transportation, technology, health care, and child care).

The hypersensitive would ask why the only two colleges mentioned in 1,400-plus pages was one for the deaf and one for blacks…

Just sayin’….

CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
For an additional amount for “Corporation for Public Broadcasting”, $300,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including for fiscal stabilization grants to public telecommunications entities, with no deduction for administrative or other costs of the Corporation, to maintain programming and services and preserve small and rural stations threatened by declines in non-Federal revenues, of which $50,000,000 shall be used to support the public television system.

They get donations from “people like you”, corporations and foundations, claim they get a very small portion from taxpayers. $300 million is a lot to tap into until the end of September.

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

For an additional amount for “Limitation on Administrative Expenses”, $510,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for necessary expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including paying the salaries and benefits of employees affected as a result of office closures, telework, phone and communication services for employees, overtime costs, and supplies, and for resources necessary for processing disability and retirement workloads and backlogs, of which the amount made available under this heading in this Act.

Democrats scare seniors every two years with that old “Republicans want to cut your Social Security” yet their employees always seem to be just fine.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
ADMINISTRATION OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
DIPLOMATIC PROGRAMS

For an additional amount for “Diplomatic Programs”, $315,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, for necessary expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including for evacuation expenses, emergency preparedness, and maintaining consular operations.

PEACE CORPS
For an additional amount for “Peace Corps”, $90,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, for necessary expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

This is a lot of money for “telework” seeing how there’s not going to be a lot of overseas travel going on for the foreseeable future. And what’s the Peace Corps going to do with Coronavirus, for the most part, shutting war down globally?

DEPARTMENT OF STATE
MIGRATION AND REFUGEE ASSISTANCE

For an additional amount for “Migration and Refugee Assistance”, $300,000,000, to remain available until expended, for necessary expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

HOMELESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS
For an additional amount for “Homeless Assistance Grants”, $5,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, for the Emergency Solutions Grants program to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus among individuals and families who are homeless, receiving homeless assistance, or at risk of homelessness and to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts created by coronavirus.

Refugees get “assistance” while homeless Americans have to apply for “solutions” through local agencies and nonprofits. See how that works?

NATIONAL NETWORK GRANTS TO THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

For an additional amount for “National Network Grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation”, $526,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

Will that even be enough? With Amtrak, it never seems to be.

Now, here’s where things get ugly.

While an entire industry has been adversely affected by circumstances they didn’t cause, Democrats are going to make it hurt for an industry they decided to single out: airlines.

To save the planet….

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS
AIRLINE CARBON EMISSIONS OFFSETS AND GOALS
CARBON OFFSETTING PROGRAM

Not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall require each air carrier receiving assistance under section 101, to fully offset the annual carbon emissions of such air carriers for domestic flights beginning in 2025.
CARBON EMISSIONS GOAL
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall require each air carrier receiving assistance to— (A) make and achieve a binding commitment to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the domestic flights of such air carrier in every calendar year, beginning with 2021, on a path consistent with a 25 percent reduction in the aviation sector’s emissions from 2005 levels by 2035, and a 50 percent reduction in the sector’s emissions from 2005 levels by 2050, applying the standards, recommended practices, and guidance agreed to by the United States pursuant to the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011 for addressing aircraft emissions; and (B) submit to the Administrator, annually, a report containing a plan for meeting the commitment described in subparagraph (A) and evidence of compliance with such commitment, including the annual emissions of the air carrier, use of alternative fuels, and any other means of implementing such commitment.

SEC. 705. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUELS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Aviation Administration $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026 for research and development of sustainable aviation fuels.

STUDY ON CERTAIN CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION EFFORTS
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (referred to in this section as the “National Academies”) to conduct a study on climate change mitigation efforts with respect to the civil aviation and aerospace industries.

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION EFFORTS
The term “climate change mitigation efforts” means efforts, including the use of technologies, materials, processes, or practices, that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Seeing how they do so much for Democrats, the unions got a big taste.

LABOR PROTECTIONS
ASSISTANCE IRRESPECTIVE OF LABOR COSTS

The President, or any department, agency, or actor of the Federal government, may not condition the provision of any financial assistance on an air carrier’s implementation of measures to reduce labor costs or to enter into negotiations with the certified bargaining representative of a craft or class of employees of the air carrier regarding pay or other terms and conditions of employment.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND SNAP-BACK
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any contractual relief or reduction to rates of pay, rules, and working conditions agreed to by the authorized representatives of the employees of an air carrier, or otherwise imposed on such employees, during or as result of the pandemic of the coronavirus COVID–19 by an air carrier that receives financial assistance under section 101 shall be terminated within 6 months, unless the authorized representatives of the employees choose to make an alternative agreement with the air carrier.
PROTECTION OF ORGANIZING ACTIVITY
A person receiving financial assistance under section 101 shall remain neutral in any communications with employees with respect to any efforts of an employee to organize, recruit, or assist in the organizing a labor organization.
LABOR UNION REPRESENTATION ON AIR CARRIER BOARDS
An air carrier receiving financial assistance under section 101 shall designate at least one seat on the air carrier’s board of directors for an individual who is a member or officer of a labor organization representing air carrier employees, with such individual to be named by such organization.

Still can’t get the connection between COVID-19 and collective bargaining but you know all of the unions infecting the federal government and our tax dollars will take as much as Democrats give them.

To Pelosi, Clyburn and Democrats, it’s all about getting all they can get, while they can get it. Pelosi’s already conceded the 2020 election to President Trump which is why she’s serpentined the budget process until next year.

How many lives will this “wish list” save against the Coronavirus? It was never about the American people; only those who’d vote for her and her party.

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