White House and Senate reach deal on coronavirus emergency relief; America workers await U.S. Senate vote and U.S. House approval

By Michael Hernandez 

NEWS FLASH—Four Republican Senators are warning that a major flaw exists in the U.S. Senate deal on the coronavirus emergency relief bill that will cause employers to fire employees because workers could earn up to 15 percent more money than their existing income prior to covid-19. The four Senators are:  Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Senator Tim Scott (R-SC); Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE); ;and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL).  (Editor’s Note:  Please see link to:  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-senators-oppose-coronavirus-bill-error.) 

“You want to destroy what’s left of the economy?  Pass it the way it’s written,” said Senator Lindsey Graham.   “If you want to help people, pay them their wages, but don’t pay them more not to work.”

Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) responded to the four Republican senators warning with his own threat of putting “a hold on this bill unless these Republican Senators drop their objections.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The White House and Senate reached a deal on the two trillion dollar (12 zeroes)  coronavirus emergency relief (with an additional four trillion in lending) at midnight Tuesday with American workers now awaiting a U.S. Sente vote today and U.S. House approval that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says won’t happen until Friday.  President Donald J. Trump says he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had introduced her own version of a relief bill on Monday afternoon, loaded with Democrat special interests and with demands to restructure the voting system to suit her party’s preferences and to include abortion funding in the measure.  See  the link to the Citizens Journal story posted on March 24:  https://www.citizensjournal.us/politics-pelosis-pork/

Key elements of the coronavirus emergency relief which has still not been released is as follows:

• $1,200 for individual American workers making less than $75,000 a year;
• $3,000 for the average American family of four making less than $150,000;
• $500 billion for corporations to stay in business;
• $350 billons in loans to small busineses (if they make payroll without layoffs they have no loan repayment—this is debt forgiveness);
• $200 billion for domestic priorities;
• $150 billion for state and local governments;
• $130 billion for small and rural payments; and
• $100 billion for hospitals;
• A special inspector general will oversee the administration of payments;

Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY):   “The Senate is going to stand together and pass this historic relief package today.  Americans will get a four-figure check because the Senate stepped up for American families and the hundreds of thousands of workers in key sectors so they can keep their jobs and continue their careers. 

“Legislation cannot outlaw the coronavirus.  It is the American people who will defeat the virus.  They will find creative ways to stand united even if they have to stand six feet apart.   It is the American heroes who will win this fight.  No economic policies can end the hardships.  This is not a stimulus package but an emergency relief bill.”

Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY):  This new deal includes “unemployment compensation on steroids” and reimburses laid-off workers for their lost salaries and guarantees furloughed workers their full benefits so that businesses can re-open when the coronavirus crisis is over.

Michael Hernandez, Co-Founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service; editor of the History Makers Report and founder of History Makers International—a community nonprofit serving youth and families in Ventura County, is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. He worked 25 years as a middle school teacher in Monrovia and Los Angeles Unified School Districts. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted by email at [email protected].

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