Dems Pass Biden's Covid Relief Stimulus, GOP Votes No

March 2021 - As promised during the 2020 election campaign, the Democrats in Congress passed Joe Biden's Covid Relief bill this week and the President signed the legislation almost immediately. Further down in this article we document the key provisions of the bill, which will help most American families and many small businesses weather the continuing effects of the Covid pandemic and will help get our country's economy moving again.

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And it wasn't just the majority of Republicans who voted against the bill. Zero Republicans voted in favor of it, although many of them already are trying to take credit back home for the benefits it provides to their constituents. So remember, if you hear your GOP Representative or Senator touting the federal aid you're receiving, you wouldn't be getting those benefits if the Republicans still were in power.

Consequently, this legislation is a good example of why it was so important for the Democrats to have won both Georgia Senate seats in the January runoff elections. Had the Dems not been victorious in both races, Mitch McConnell still would be running the Senate, which means that you, your neighbors, and the nation's economy would continue struggling without the benefits provided by this needed assistance from Washington.

It also shows why we need to keep both houses of Congress in Democratic hands come 2022.

More on the politics of it in other articles, though. For now, let's take a look at the details of the $1.9 trillion bill that the President signed and see how it will help most of you personally and also help stimulate the economy in general:

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Late last year the Republicans voted to pass a $600 Covid stimulus payment for many Americans. After that bill was passed, Donald Trump decided the Democrats were right and the amount actually should have been $2,000, not $600. (Why he waited until after the bill was passed to make his feelings known is anyone's guess.)

With the Democrats now controlling both Houses of Congress, Mr. Biden's proposal of an additional $1,400 for individuals making under $75,000 and $2,800 for married couples making under $150,000 has been approved.

In addition, for those parents that qualify for their own stimulus check, they also will receive $1,400 for each of their dependent children. Sounds like worthwhile assistance, particularly if you have a family.

Expansion of Child Tax Credits

The benefits for families don't stop there. If you have dependent children under the age of 18, the federal income tax credits you receive will increase from $2,000 to either $3,000 or $3,600 depending on the age of your child. The bill also raises the child care tax credit to $4,000 per child and $8,000 in total.

In addition, because Mr. Biden's plan defined these credits as "refundable credits", you will receive that full amount, even if your federal tax liability is less than the amount of the credit.

These changes are only in place for the next year but Democrats are hoping to make them permanent. A recent study by Columbia University estimated that, if made permanent, the sum of these changes could cut child poverty in half.

Relief for Restaurants and Bars

It isn't just individuals and families who are helped by this bill. $28.6 billion is earmarked to help independent bars and restaurants who have been especially hard-hit by the pandemic. This is one of the favorite parts of the bill that the GOP tries to take credit for, even though none of them voted for it.

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For those Americans who are out of work, the Covid relief bill will continue the $300 per week federal supplement to their state's unemployment benefits. This supplement now will run through September 6. {UPDATE: May 2021 - Most Republican governors have decided not to accept these supplemental benefits in the mistaken belief that this $300 is discourging people from accepting a job offer. Preliminary studies indicate the Republicans are wrong once again and are only hurting working Americans.}

Vaccine and Covid-related Dollars

Over $100 million was appropriated for vaccine distribution and administration, and for Covid testing and contact tracing. Until enough Americans are vaccinated so that we can reach herd immunity, we won't be able to say that we're truly back to normal.

Funding for States and Local Municipalities

$350 billion is available to help states, counties, territories, cities, and other local governments cover revenue shortfalls due to the economic downturn last year.

School Re-Opening Funds

$125 billion is targeted to help re-open schools, $39 billion is available to assist pre-school providers, and $40 billion will go towards financial aid for post-secondary education.

Rent and Mortgage Assistance

Rental assistance totaling ~$22 billion and another ~$10 billion to help homeowners pay their mortgages are included in the bill.

New Subsidies for Health Insurance

Among the new health insurance benefits included in the Covid Relief Bill are the following:

• More middle-class Americans now qualify for subsidies under an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan
• Americans who already get their health insurance through the ACA will be receiving additional subsidies
• The federal government will provide more funding for states that haven't used the ACA subsidies to expand the number of their Citizens who qualify for Medicaid.

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Roughly $86 billion is available to assist existing pension plans, who now find themselves under water, so they can continue meeting their payment commitments to so many of our nation's retirees.

All in all, President Biden's Covid Relief legislation again proves that when times are tough, it's the Democrats you can count on to help the average American. Whether it was the Depression of the 1930's, the Great Recession of 2008-09, or the Covid economic downturn, the Republican Party is there to help the big-monied interests while the Democratic Party is there to help you.