What Happened This Week - Everything You Need to Know About the Stimulus Bill

This is a special episode of the podcast. No guests this time, just Dan here to give you a very detailed overview of the stimulus bill. Find out what’s in it, what’s not in it, and how the Democrats have been lying through their teeth constantly in a game of petty politics. There is a ton of detail in this episode, so to help you sort through it we’ve included a breakdown of topics:

0:25 - Recap of what Democrats did this week to block passage of the stimulus bill.

3:12 - Why Americans need an economic rescue package and how this is very different from the 2008 bailout.

7:00 - What is really in the stimulus bill.

11:00 - The truth about Democrats claims that by delaying the bill’s passage they got stricter controls on provision of credit to big business.

16:45 - The long list of progressive items that had nothing to do with COVID-19 which the Democrats tried to add to the stimulus bill, like climate change studies and new emission standards for airlines.

19:35 - On the bill that passed the Senate on Wednesday night (almost the same bill which could have been passed last weekend but for the Democrats delays).

Details in the bill:

24:53 - Individual tax rebates

27:25 - Expansion of unemployment benefits

30:37 - Small business loans

32:40 - Housing support

33:38 - Support for medical professionals on the front lines

35:30 - Loans to distressed industries

37:14 - Education and student loan relief

Frequently asked questions about the bill:

39:00 - Is there really $25 million allocated to give Congress a raise?

39:38 - How does the bill help restaurants?

40:00 - What does the bill do to support airline workers and keep the airline industry afloat?

40:30 - What about the impact on non-profits like the YMCA?

40:47 - Does the bill include funding for PPE, grant CMS authority to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, and increase tele-health?

41:25 - Does the bill provide for student loan cancellation?

42:13 - Does it provide relief for health clubs and studios?

42:33 - What kind of stuff did Nancy Pelosi get into the bill that has nothing to do with COVID relief?

43:22 - Is there a loophole for Planned Parenthood to get funding?

43:37 - Will individuals who were injured and unable to work last year be eligible for stimulus?

43:51 - Is there a way for an individual to prove that their finances are substantially less than in the previous tax year, so that they can be considered eligible for the stimulus?

44:38 - Will this bill include Pelosi’s pork? Will there be consideration for the Green New Deal?

45:08 - Why are we bailing out cruise ships that are registered in other countries so they can avoid paying taxes?

45:34 - Are people that own their own businesses eligible for the crisis assistance?

45:45 - How will the assistance be disbursed? Will it be automatically deposited or will they have to apply for it individually?

45:59 - What about adults that don’t report anything to the IRS because their sole income comes from Social Security?

46:08 - Concluding thoughts about the bill and the way forward from here.