H.R. 6800 Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act or the HEROES Act
CRS Summary:
This bill responds to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak and its impact on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses.
Among other things, the bill
- provides FY2020 emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies;
- provides payments and other assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments;
- provides additional direct payments of up to $1,200 per individual;
expands paid sick days, family and medical leave, unemployment compensation, nutrition and food assistance programs, housing assistance, and payments to farmers; - modifies and expands the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides loans and grants to small businesses and nonprofit organizations;
- establishes a fund to award grants for employers to provide pandemic premium pay for essential workers;
- expands several tax credits and deductions;
- provides funding and establishes requirements for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing;
- eliminates cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments;
- extends and expands the moratorium on certain evictions and foreclosures;
- and requires employers to develop and implement infectious disease exposure control plans.
The bill also modifies or expands a wide range of other programs and policies, including those regarding
- Medicare and Medicaid,
- health insurance,
- broadband service,
- medical product supplies,
- immigration,
- student loans and financial aid,
- the federal workforce,
- prisons,
- veterans benefits,
- consumer protection requirements,
- the U.S. Postal Service,
- federal elections,
- aviation and railroad workers,
- andpension and retirement plans.
Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) objects giving these reasons:
- Allows illegal immigrants to receive a stimulus check.
- Opens the Paycheck Protection Program to the payrolls of 501c4 dark money political groups, lobbyists, and professional sports teams.
- Includes election provisions to enhance democratic partisan advantages.
- Lets wealthy people who make money from dividends and royalties claim the earned income tax credit, which is an anti-poverty provision.
- Shields illegal immigrants from deportation.
- Addresses marijuana issues unrelated to the COVID-19 situation.
- Orders the release of federal prisoners into the community who have asthma, diabetes, or are over 50.
- Repeals the SALT cap in 2020 and 2021, which benefits wealthy taxpayers and is obviously unrelated to the COVID-19 crisis.
- Restricts Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.
- Provides millions for the National Endowment for the Arts.
- Provides millions for the bio-surveillance of wildlife.
- Provides millions for environmental justice grants.
Even if Reed’s objections were valid, most aren’t important enough to be reflected in the CRS summary. Relief for those who lost employer health insurance, for state and local government, and those who are short of food are all good. Extended unemployment benefits and support for testing, tracing, and treatment are needed. Partisan posturing should not obscure the big picture.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6800
New NY 23rd 
This is how Democrats wind up going down the rabbit hole It’s also why I tried to start a discussion a couple of weeks ago as to what Republicans believe.Simply, Republicans believe in the rich.
Republicans have been sending money to the rich for many many years. They continued with the so-called tax cuts and jobs act and the first few coronavirus stimulus bills. They send money to the rich that they steal from the middle and lower classes.
That is why Reed opposes the bill. It takes from the rich and gives it to others.
That is the ONLY reason Reed opposes it. All of the other reasons he gives are given simply to muddy the waters in service of his unstated reason and it is pointless to discuss them.
One needs to ask Reed what he has against NY State and local governments that he opposes funds for state government (and health departments, and police. and firefighters. and schools. and infrastructure).
Why shouldn’t NYS be funded as quickly and as fully as his gazillionaire rich friends were? Why does Reed oppose badly needed aid to NYS government? THAT’s the only question needing to be discussed.
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one other thing….
The failure of the federal government will hugely and negatively impact schools, fire departments (disclosure: I am a volunteer fireman) police, roads, health departments.
Reed is in favor of NOT supporting those entities.
Why does Reed enjoy the support of constituents who depend on those organizations?
Are his supporters stupid? Or are they ignorant? Or do they simply not want public schools, public fire departments, public health departments, code officers…and so on?
state, local, town and county budgets are being worked on now. People will learn.
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Found on the web at https://www.electoral-vote.com/:
D.E. in Lititz, PA, writes: Every day when I get ready to go to work, I put of a face mask. Yes, they are uncomfortable. Yes, they itch and the elastic bands make my ears ache. And yes, especially as the summer’s humidity sets in, they often make breathing very difficult, plus they keep fogging up my glasses. But do you know the main reason I wear a face mask every day? It’s not because my company has made it mandatory or that the Governor has requested it. It’s not even because I worry about my own health. No, the main reason why I wear one is because if I did find out I was an asymptomatic carrier and that I had given the virus to someone else, and that resulted in their death or long-lasting ill health, I could not live with myself. I do this every day, but clearly Donald Trump thinks he is better than me, as he can’t be bothered. Trump is so obsessed with being macho, and yet a little piece of cloth tied across his lower face makes him wet himself in fear. His loyal followers crow about how not wearing a mask “owns the libtards.” What the hell is wrong with these people?
Not that long ago in this country, Americans had the well-earned reputation that if their neighbors were in trouble, they would collectively rush in to help. They would give generously, offered of themselves, and if need be they would miss church services to save a family in peril. This is the very core of American Greatness. Nowadays, a certain segment of our society can’t get their heads out of their own butts to mildly inconvenience themselves by wearing a face mask (and potentially saving a person’s life) because acting like a schoolyard bully kicking another’s kid’s sandcastle in a sandbox is much more meaningful.
Today, I read that Gov. Doug Burgam (R-ND) emotionally said “This is a, I would say, senseless dividing line, and I would ask people to try to dial up your empathy and your understanding.” I would go one step more and say that it is a pointless manufactured dividing line created by that same bunch of schoolyard bullies just so they can say they kicked down your sandcastle. That’s not American Greatness, that’s American rot and disease. All bullies learn their behaviors from other bullies, and America’s number one bully and spoiled brat is Donald Trump. According to Robert Graves, the Emperor Claudius said on contemplating the coming reign of Emperor Nero (and surely there is not a more apt historical figure for Trump), “Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out!”
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Found on the web at https://www.electoral-vote.com/
J.L. in Cincinnati, OH, writes: You wrote: “It is true that some conservatives have been booted from the platform, but it was invariably for violation of Twitter’s terms of service.”
However, the Twitter rules contain several provisions that clearly affect the full expression of conservative views far more than liberal views:
Glorification of violence
Violent extremism
Targeted harassment
The civic integrity policy, to the extent to which conservatives are anti-democratic
And especially the hateful conduct policy, because a ban on attacks on the basis of “race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, [or] religious affiliation” seriously shuts down a substantial amount of conservative discourse. That policy alone bars expressing sincerely-held beliefs that black men can’t be trusted to keep from abusing white women in sexual relationships, that the Roma are naturally inclined to steal, that Persians are spies for the Ayatollah, that Dalits stink like rotten curry and openly defecate on the street, that gay men are an abomination against God, that women ought not to be in positions of authority over men, that trans women and men are freaks who should be kept away from children, and that Muslims are either terrorists or terrorists-in-waiting.
A steadfast Trump supporter would seriously need to hold back to keep from being booted from Twitter, and other large social-media sites aren’t much different; meanwhile, liberals, socialists, and other non-right-wing types may well fall afoul of the policies (most likely “targeted harassment” or the policy on private information when they post out of righteous indignation), but the policies don’t hit at the core of their worldviews.
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Found on the web at https://www.electoral-vote.com/
M.B. in Cleveland, OH, writes: You wrote that “women are compelled to be more constrained, at risk of triggering a misogynistic reaction. Hillary Clinton was well aware of this in 2016, and chose her battles carefully, only counter-punching Donald Trump on occasion, and often in a fairly subtle fashion…”
I have long believed that when Trump was stalking Clinton during the October 9, 2016, debate, had she answered the audience member’s question with: “I will get to your question in a moment, but first, I want to say something. So many women have had the experience of a powerful man lurking over their shoulders, breathing down their necks. So many women have been unable to say what I am about to say…[to Trump] It is my turn to speak. Go sit down and wait for your turn! [to the moderators] And you— make sure he stays there when I have the floor!” then that would have been Game, Set, Match. Election over. How could he have possibly responded?
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Maybe it is time for an opinion piece on the rise of fascism that we are all witnessing.
At the very least, something about civil rights? Tulsa Massacre? Greensboro boys?
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“When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”
suggested reading: It Can’t Happen Here, published at a time (1935) by Sinclair Lewis
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The White House went on lockdown?
Why doesn’t the president “invite them in, hear what they have to say, make a deal?” That was his advice to the governor of Michigan when an armed, anti-govt militia stormed their state house.’
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Godspeed, George Floyd!
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The total number of American deaths from World War I was 116,516.
The total number of American deaths from Covid as of today is 118,183…with cases increasing in 22 states.
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Ok, here we go….
Many of you are the problem. Yes, you read that right. Many of you are the reason why these riots are happening. Many of you are the reason why it’s come to this. This is especially true if you’ve ever (but especially in the last week) said any of the following;
1. “It’s awful but…” – No. No buts. In the English language, the word “But” is often used to deflect or to justify behavior. Police murdering black people in the street is awful. Period. End of discussion.
2. “I support the movement but not these disruptive protests…” – No, you don’t. Right now, the movement is taking the form of disruptive protests. They’re the same thing. You either want police to stop murdering black people in the street, or you don’t. If you do, then support the protests — even if you find them disruptive and frustrating — because that’s black people fighting for their lives.
3. “All lives/White lives matter too..” – no one said they didn’t. The conversation is specifically about black lives right now because police are murdering them in the street. Until police stop doing that, and White people stop dismissing it, it’s not “All lives matter,” it’s “MOST lives matter.” It’s not “ALL Lives” until Black Lives Matter too. Stay focused.
4. “There are good cops…” – No one said there weren’t. There are three categories of cops; Good cops, bad cops and complacent cops. Good cops are marching with the protesters. They’re sharing the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. They’re trying to change the system from within the system. There are many levels of Bad cops. The most obvious one is those officers that are murdering black people in the street. Bad cops are also sharing the hashtags “blue lives matter.” Bad cops are trying to shift the focus. Bad cops don’t stop their colleagues when they murder black people in the streets. Complacent cops just show up, follow orders and try not to take sides. Complacent cops are bad cops.
5. “I don’t support the looting and destruction…” – no one says you have to, but please stop acting like looting nullifies the entire protest. And definitely stop acting like looting is “just as bad.” That’s like comparing someone stealing your car to someone murdering your child. They’re not equally bad. Stop pretending they are. Police murdering black people in the street is definitely worse than robbing a Target.
6. “Just because I’m white doesn’t mean my life has been easy…” Of course not. Everyone struggles. But being white has never been one of those struggles. Being poor has been a struggle. Being a woman has been a struggle. Being gay has been a struggle. But being white has never been a struggle. The same can’t be said for people of color. I could go on and on about white privilege, but it would be so much easier if you educated yourself instead. This isn’t about how you have suffered in your life. This is about police murdering black people in the street. Stop trying to make it about you.
7. “I really wish they would protest peacefully…” – of course you do. They’re easier to ignore that way. People of color have been peacefully protesting for hundreds of years. It hasn’t been all that successful. The reason riots and violent demonstrations work is because it makes people — especially white people — uncomfortable. We can’t ignore them when they’re waving torches in our faces. It scares us. It puts us on edge, which is precisely where we need to be. People only pay attention to the extreme. If you have trouble recalling a single one of the hundreds of peaceful protests that BLM held across North America last year, but you can still recall, with crystal clarity, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, then you’ve just proved my point.
8. “I don’t see color…” — Congratulations, you’re lying to yourself. Of course, you see color. And that’s good! Black people want you to see their color. Their colors are beautiful and the very foundation of who they are. If you don’t see their color, then you also don’t see their culture. If you don’t see color, then you erase their very identity. If you don’t see their color, then you also can’t see the pattern of violence they’re confronted with every day. If you don’t see color, then you’re blind to more than just racial injustice. You’re blind to the world.
9. “They shouldn’t have committed a crime…” – This one is a big one for me. Consider me triggered. A boy who steals a can of pop from a 7-11 does not deserve to be shot in the back three times. A man illegally selling CD’s on a street corner doesn’t deserve to be shot to death in front of a record store. A man who runs a red light does not deserve to be shot while reaching for his registration. This isn’t about their crimes; this is about bad policing. Stay on topic.
10. “Black people kill white people too…” yes, murderers exist in every race and walk of life. But that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking police brutality, and the reality is, black officers are not murdering unarmed white men in the street. That seems to be almost exclusively white officer behavior. Stop gaslighting.
11. “Black people kill other black people…” – Yes, they do, just like white people kill other white people and Latinos kill other latinos etc. Crime related violence does not adhere to any imaginary racial boundaries or allegiances. But, we’re not talking about criminal violence right now. We’re not discussing drug violence or gang violence or sexual violence or domestic violence or bar brawls or whatever random type of violence you’d like to bring up. The conversation is specifically about POLICE BRUTALITY. Say it with me. Police. Brutality. Any other form of violence you bring up is entirely irrelevant. Please stay on topic.
12. “I support black people, but I can’t support the violence…” — In other words, you would prefer people of color continue to be murdered by police, rather than have them rise up violently against their oppressors. Got it. That’s not support.
13. “It’s not about race. We are all human beings…” yes, except people of color often aren’t treated like human beings. For instance, they’re being murdered in the streets like animals. On video. While people watch. While people do nothing.
14. “The looting and arson distract from their message. It’s their fault for not controlling it…” If you’d like to lay blame, how about we start by blaming the police who frequently murder unarmed people of color. If they didn’t frequently murder unarmed people of color, the protest wouldn’t be necessary. The protest wouldn’t have turned into a riot, the riot wouldn’t have turned violent, and looting wouldn’t have happened. Blaming the oppressed for not better “controlling” their social unrest is asinine.
15. “More white people are killed by cops than black people. Here are the statistics….” – I love when people do research! Thank you for that! But those stats that you’re proudly flashing around aren’t an accurate reflection of the issue. According to data, there are approx. 234,370,202 white people In the United States. Comparatively, that same data states that there are 40,610,815 “Black” Americans. So, when your stats show 1,398 white people have been killed by officers since 2017 and only 543 Black people, what those statistics really show is .0005% of white people were killed by police in those 3.5 years, while .0011% of black people were killed by police. That means black people were killed at a higher rate. 220% higher, to be exact.Math has no racial bias. Those aren’t great stats. Stop using them to defend your position.
16. “Black people commit more crime…” – Do they really, though? According to data released in 2017, there were 475,900 black prisoners in state and federal prisons and 436,500 white prisoners. That’s a difference of about 9%. So for argument’s sake, let’s say those numbers are an accurate reflection of the amount of crime committed. If people of color commit only 9% more crime, why are they killed by police at a rate of 220% higher?
17. “Well, the same stats you mentioned shows that even though they’re only 12% of the population, they commit 54% of the crime.” – Good Catch! You’re right. But those numbers don’t actually reflect the amount of crime committed. That’s why I said to assume they’re correct. Those numbers only reveal how many people are incarcerated. The reality is, while those numbers are all we have to go on, they don’t tell the complete story either. In the United States specifically, socioeconomic racism, which was designed to keep POC in poverty through district redlining, lower quality of education and other systemic obstacles, is a huge component.Thanks to redlining (look it up) and other zoning and banking practices, the quality of education in “black” neighborhoods are significantly lower, which means the average income for POC in those neighbors is lower and the unemployment much higher. Also, thanks to redlining, the unemployment rate, and lower-income rates, crime in those neighborhoods tends to be higher. That means those neighborhoods are patrolled by police more often. Thanks to racial bias, POC are followed, stopped, harassed and arrested more frequently than the white people who live in those same neighborhoods. What all of this means is that, when POC are arrested more frequently, they often can’t afford fancy lawyers to help them. They usually end up with Public Defenders, who are often overworked, and they often encourage POC to plead guilty in exchange for less time. Then there’s the fact that, because white people make up 73% of the population, they also tend to make up a bigger percentage of jurors. There’s lots of factors to consider. So don’t assume that just because they make up 54% of the people in jail, that they make up 54% of the crime. The entire system is broken. That’s part of the problem.
18. “You’re promoting violence and destruction, shame on you…”. – I don’t remember encouraging anyone to riot. I also don’t remember encouraging anyone to loot or commit arson. The truth is, looting and arson is certainly not my preferred form of protest. But it’s important to remember that protesters haven’t committed most of the violent behavior. Civil unrest tends to cause chaos and confusion. That chaos provides the perfect opportunity for poor-intentioned people to do poor-intentioned things. That doesn’t mean the civil unrest should stop. I don’t condone the violence. I just don’t think it should dominate the conversation. If you want to focus on the violence, try focusing on those officers who’ve killed POC in the street. You’re focusing on the wrong violence.
If any of you are guilty of saying any of the above, then I have unsettling news for you. YOU are the reason it’s come to this.
YOU are the reason peaceful protests haven’t worked.
They haven’t worked because YOU haven’t been listening.
YOU haven’t been learning.
These violent riots are happening because YOU have left people of color no other choice.
These riots are happening because no matter how people of color have said it – taking a knee, marching the streets, bumper stickers, banners, signs, or chants, YOU still don’t get it.
That doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.
That doesn’t mean you’re racist. It only means you’re white. And that’s not a crime, any more than being black is.
The difference is, police aren’t going to shoot you simply for living as a white person.
We must #DisruptThisDystopia because #BlackLivesMatter
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