December 27, 2020: COVID-19 Legislative Update

COVID-19 - December 27, 2020

Policy Resolution Group COVID-19 Legislative Update

December 27, 2020

Happy holidays!

Update: In case you haven’t seen, the White House announced tonight that the combined COVID-19 relief and consolidated appropriations bill has been signed into law.

If you actually want more detail about why they President signed it, keep reading.  If you prefer to go about your holiday season knowing this part of our shared nightmare is over, you can.  This bill is now a law, and that is really all that matters from what happened tonight.

The “Why” of it all:

The White House stated that the POTUS was willing to sign this legislation for a variety of reasons: 

  • First, because Congress is going to take action to increase EIP payments to $2000.
    • It remains very unlikely that that Congress will adopt such legislation before they adjourn.  Even if a bill can pass in the House it will not move in the Senate, particularly given very short timeframes for action.
  • Second, because the President will sending Congress a rescission request and a  line-by-line list of spending items that the President wants removed from the legislation.
    • This move only has symbolic importance given that Congress is not required to consider the request and Biden will be able to withdraw it. 
  • Third, because the House and Senate have agreed to “focus strongly on the substantial voter fraud which took place in the November 3 Presidential election”
    • It is unclear what this promised focus entails other than a Senate investigation into voter fraud mentioned elsewhere in the statement.
  • Fourth, because Congress has promised to review and either reform or terminate “Section 230.”
    • Ongoing Congressional oversight and legislative activities  would be consistent with this promise.