House Democrats’ Expensive, Unserious Wish List
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| Nancy Pelosi Caught adding liberal wish list to $3 trillion relief & reshapes US elections |
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “[W]hat you’ve seen in the House … is not something designed to deal with reality, but designed to deal with aspirations. This is not a time for aspirational legislation, this is a time for practical response to the coronavirus pandemic. And so, we're going to insist on doing narrowly targeted legislation, if and when we do legislate again, and we may well, that addresses the problems. The needs, and not the aspirations of the Democratic majority in the House.” (Sen. McConnell, Press Conference, 5/12/2020)
“SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI’S HOUSE is not officially coming back yet. They are waiting for the release of a new coronavirus bill, which will cost trillions of dollars. Neither this bill nor anything resembling it will ever become law -- it’s a Democratic wish list filled up with all the party’s favored policies.” (Politico’s Playbook, 5/11/2020)
- “The more than 1,800-page bill marks a long wish list for Democrats …” (“House Democrats Unveil $3 Trillion Proposal For Coronavirus Relief,” NPR, 5/12/2020)
- “Senior aides say much of the caucus wants the House to proceed first to put out a marker, though the idea has exacerbated concern among some moderate Democrats that the bill could look too much like a costly wishlist with no chance of being signed into law.” (“Pelosi To Lay Down Multitrillion-Dollar Marker With New Coronavirus Package,” Politico, 5/7/2020)
House Democrats’ new bill would …
Roll back the cap on state and local tax deductions for two years
PAGE 224: “SEC. 20161. ELIMINATION FOR 2020 AND 2021 OF LIMITATION ON DEDUCTION OF STATE AND LOCAL TAXES.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
- “House Democrats released the text Tuesday for its latest proposed Covid-19 relief measures. … Tucked away in the bill is a measure that will reinstate the so-called SALT itemized deduction for 2020 and 2021. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which went into effect in 2018, limited the amount of state and local tax deductions filers could claim on their tax returns to $10,000. … The new proposal doesn’t specify what’s supposed to happen after 2021.” (“House Democrats’ Stimulus Bill Rolls Back $10,000 SALT Cap For 2 Years,” CNBC, 5/12/2020)
PAGES 151-152: “SEC. 20102. INDIVIDUALS PROVIDING TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN DETERMINING CREDIT AND REBATES. (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6428(g) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended by section 20101 of this Act, is amended to read as follows: ‘(g) IDENTIFICATION NUMBER REQUIREMENT.— ‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The $1,200 amount in subsection (a)(1) shall be treated as being zero unless the taxpayer includes the TIN of the taxpayer on the return of tax for the taxable year…. (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by this section shall take effect as if included in section 2201 of the CARES Act.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
PAGES 160-162: “SEC. 20111. ADDITIONAL RECOVERY REBATES TO INDIVIDUALS. (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter B of chapter 65 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after section 6428 the following new section: ‘SEC. 6428A. ADDITIONAL RECOVERY REBATES TO INDIVIDUALS. ‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an eligible individual, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by subtitle A for the first taxable year beginning in 2020 an amount equal to the additional rebate amount determined for such taxable year…. (4) IDENTIFICATION NUMBER REQUIREMENT.— ‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The $1,200 amount in subsection (b)(1) shall be treated as being zero unless the taxpayer includes the TIN of the taxpayer on the return of tax for the taxable year.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
- “By law, individuals must provide a unique identifying number when they file tax returns and other documents with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This means noncitizens must have a taxpayer identification number in order to file tax returns, pay taxes, and otherwise comply with federal tax law. The general rule is that an individual's taxpayer identification number is his or her Social Security number (SSN)…. Individuals who are not eligible to receive an SSN are required to use an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) when filing their tax returns and other documents with the IRS…. The fact someone has an ITIN does not mean he or she is unlawfully present in the United States.... ITINs are provided to those individuals who need a taxpayer identification number and are not eligible for an SSN…. Nonetheless, IRS and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reportedly believe that a large proportion of ITIN filers are unlawfully present aliens working in the United States.” (“Federal Income Taxes and Noncitizens: Frequently Asked Questions,” Congressional Research Service, R43840, 12/31/2014)
- “Democratic Reps. Lou Correa of California, Judy Chu of California and Raúl Grijalva of Arizona on April 3 introduced the bill, the Leave No Taxpayer Behind Act, ‘to allow 2020 recovery rebates to be made on the basis of an individual’s taxpayer identification number.’ … The bill would amend the qualifications necessary to receive federal support provided by the CARES Act, the emergency coronavirus relief bill passed in March. The CARES Act requires recipients of benefits to provide a valid Social Security number, which undocumented immigrants don’t have and can't legally get…. The Leave No Taxpayer Behind Act would amend the CARES Act by adding an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number as an acceptable credential to receive government benefits. An ITIN is a number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service to make sure people who are not permitted to receive a Social Security number pay taxes ‘regardless of their immigration status,’ according to the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit immigration research and advocacy organization…. [E]xpanding eligibility for federal relief to include individuals with ITINs would help expand aid to only some undocumented immigrants because not all undocumented immigrants have ITINs…. The Leave No Taxpayer Behind Act would expand access to the CARES Act federal relief to individuals who have an ITIN, benefiting the many undocumented immigrants in that situation …” (“Fact Check: House Bill Expands Stimulus Checks To Some, Not All, Undocumented Immigrants,” USA Today, 4/23/2020)
PAGE 1459: “(2) ADMINISTRATION OF VOTING BY MAIL.—‘‘(A) PROHIBITING IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENT AS CONDITION OF OBTAINING BALLOT.—A State may not require an individual to provide any form of identification as a condition of obtaining an absentee ballot, except that nothing in this paragraph may be construed to prevent a State from requiring a signature of the individual or similar affirmation as a condition of obtaining an absentee ballot.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
PAGES 1476-1477: “SEC. 325. PERMITTING USE OF SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT TO MEET IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) USE OF STATEMENT.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (c), if a State has in effect a requirement that an individual present identification as a condition of casting a ballot in an election for Federal office, the State shall permit the individual to meet the requirement— (A) in the case of an individual who desires to vote in person, by presenting the appropriate State or local election official with a sworn written statement, signed by the individual under penalty of perjury, attesting to the individual’s identity and attesting that the individual is eligible to vote in the election; or (B) in the case of an individual who desires to vote by mail, by submitting with the ballot the statement described in subparagraph (A).” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
Legalize ballot harvesting nationwide …
PAGE 1469: “(2) PERMITTING VOTERS TO DESIGNATE OTHER PERSON TO RETURN BALLOT.—The State— (A) shall permit a voter to designate any person to return a voted and sealed absentee ballot to the post office, a ballot drop-off location, tribally designated building, or election office so long as the person designated to return the ballot does not receive any form of compensation based on the number of ballots that the person has returned and no individual, group, or organization provides compensation on this basis; and (B) may not put any limit on how many voted and sealed absentee ballots any designated person can return to the post office, a ballot drop off location, tribally designated building, or election office.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
Require a review of the immigration files of all individuals in ICE custody to assess the need for continued detention …
“SEC. 191205. ICE DETENTION. … [T]he Secretary of Homeland Security shall review the immigration files of all individuals in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assess the need for continued detention.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
Require banking regulators and the GAO to issue diversity reports for cannabis-related businesses …
PAGE 1077: “(h) ANNUAL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION REPORT.— The Federal banking regulators shall issue an annual report to Congress containing— (1) information and data on the availability of access to financial services for minority-owned and women-owned cannabis-related legitimate businesses…” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
PAGE 1077-1078: “(i) GAO STUDY ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.—(1) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall carry out a study on the barriers to marketplace entry, including in the licensing process, and the access to financial services for potential and existing minority-owned and women-owned cannabis-related legitimate businesses.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
Allow cannabis businesses to work with federally backed banks and insurers …
PAGES 1065-1066: “SEC. 110606. SAFE BANKING. … The purpose of this section is to increase public safety by ensuring access to financial services to cannabis-related legitimate businesses and service providers…” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
Create a new ‘soil health’ pilot program at USDA which would pay farmers to NOT farm and to plant grass on 5 million acres of productive farmland …
PAGES 724-729: “SEC. 60501. EMERGENCY SOIL HEALTH AND INCOME PROTECTION PILOT PROGRAM. … The Secretary [of Agriculture] shall establish a voluntary emergency soil health and income protection pilot program under which eligible land is enrolled through the use of contracts to assist owners and operators of eligible land to conserve and improve the soil, water, and wildlife resources of the eligible land.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
- “(a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE LAND.—In this section, the term “eligible land” means cropland that—(1) is selected by the owner or operator of the land for proposed enrollment in the pilot program under this section; and (2) as determined by the Secretary, had a cropping history or was considered to be planted during each of the 3 crop years preceding enrollment…. (1) REQUIREMENTS.—A contract described in subsection (b) shall— (A) be entered into by the Secretary, the owner of the eligible land, and (if applicable) the operator of the eligible land; and (B) provide that, during the term of the contract— (i) the lowest practicable cost perennial conserving use cover crop for the eligible land, as determined by the applicable State conservationist after considering the advice of the applicable State technical committee, shall be planted on the eligible land … PAYMENTS.— (A) RENTAL RATE.—Except as provided in paragraph (4)(B)(ii), the annual rental rate for a payment under a contract described in subsection (b) shall be $70 per acre…. (d) ACREAGE LIMITATION.—Not more than 5,000,000 total acres of eligible land may be enrolled under the pilot program under this section.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
PAGE 1045: “(4) CREDIT FACILITY.—The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall— (A) establish a facility, using amounts made available under section 4003(b)(4) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9042(b)(4)), to make long-term, low-cost loans to debt collectors to temporarily compensate such debt collectors for documented financial losses caused by forbearance of debt payments under this subsection; and (B) defer debt collectors’ required payments on such loans until after consumers’ debt payments resume.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
And give special treatment to the New York State Medicaid program.
PAGE 1815: “SEC. 200015. MODIFICATION TO MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT REQUIREMENT FOR TEMPORARY INCREASE IN MEDICAID FMAP. (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6008(b)(1) of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d note) is amended by inserting ‘, or as signed into State law on April 15, 2020, and taking effect in State law on April 3, 2020’ after ‘January 1, 2020’. (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.” (H.R. 6800, 116th Congress)
- “On March 24, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance related to the temporary increase in the federal Medicaid matching rate (FMAP) included in the Families First COVID-19 response legislation (P.L. 116-127)…. Families First would increase the FMAP by 6.2 percentage points for all states and territories starting January 1, 2020 through the end of the public health emergency. As a condition of the FMAP increase, during the emergency, states may not cut Medicaid eligibility or impose more restrictive eligibility procedures, charge higher premiums, disenroll currently enrolled or newly enrolled beneficiaries or fail to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment without cost-sharing.” (Edwin Park, “CMS Guidance Clarifies that Families First COVID-19 Response Bill’s FMAP Increase Will Benefit CHIP Too,” Georgetown University Center for Children & Families, 3/25/2020)
- Eliot Fishman, Left-Wing Families USA Senior Director of Health Policy: “Another important coverage element that is just egregious: the second COVID package, passed in March, included a requirement that states not cut Medicaid or disenroll anyone during the pandemic. New York wanted to make Medicaid cuts anyway. So there is language in the bill intended to allow New York to make cuts to home and community-based services …” (Eliot Fishman, @FishmanEliot, Twitter, 5/12/2020)
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: “It’s like the New Deal, think of every great - every great change that’s taken place that’s come out of a crisis - that’s come out of a crisis…. And I think we have an opportunity now to significantly change the mindset of the American people, things they weren’t ready to do, you know, even two, three years ago.” (CNN Coronavirus Town Hall, 4/16/2020)
- BIDEN: “And I truly think that if we do this right, we have an incredible opportunity to not just dig out of this crisis, but to fundamentally transform the country.” (LULAC Virtual Town Hall, 5/04/2020)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “We need big, bold action…. We need Franklin Rooseveltian-type action and we hope to take that in the House and Senate in a very big and bold way.” (“Schumer, Pelosi Set To Unveil ‘Rooseveltian’ Relief Package,” The Hill, 5/07/2020)
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “I see everything as an opportunity. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity.” (MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes,” 5/11/2020)
- SPEAKER PELOSI: “It’s a wonderful opportunity because I think our country is united in wanting to, not only address the immediate needs of the emergency and the mitigation for the assault on our lives and livelihoods, but also how we recover in a very positive way.” (“Democrats Eye Major Infrastructure Component In Next Coronavirus Package,” The Hill, 3/3/2020)
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA), House Progressive Caucus Co-Chair: “So I think it depends on how you use the word leverage. For me, the leverage is that there is enormous suffering, and if we do not respond with the boldness and the scale that this crisis demands, then that suffering will continue. I think it’s important for us to not allow ourselves to be pulled into a place where we don’t define the agenda …” (“An Unusually Honest Conversation About Wielding Political Power, With Rep. Pramila Jayapal,” Vox, 5/06/2020)
FLASHBACK: RAHM EMANUEL, Former Obama White House Chief of Staff: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” (Remarks to Wall Street Journal CEO Council, 2008)
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