Congress is incredibly disappointing. They almost had a stimulus deal in the Senate, but then Speaker Pelosi convinced Senate Democrats to stop it so the House could put its version out there. The House's version is a
partisan mess.
"The 1119-page bill is Christmas in March for liberal special interests. It imposes racial and gender pay equity provisions, diversity on corporate boards, increased use of minority-owned banks by federal offices, and a grab-bag of other diversity-themed requirements. It increases the collective bargaining power for unions and cancels all the debt owed by the U.S. Postal Service to the U.S. Treasury. For the global warming crowd there are increased fuel emission standards and required carbon offsets for airlines, plus tax credits for alternative energy programs. For the kids there is a provision for student loan payment deferment, and for the education bureaucrats who overcharge them a $9.5 billion giveaway to colleges and universities. It gives $100 million to juvenile justice programs, and suspends various aspects of enforcement of immigration laws."
I understand how Senate Democrats were concerned about the Republican plan, calling it a "corporate slush fund" (though one must wonder why they didn't have the same objection under Obama's stimulus), but this isn't the time to exploit a state of emergency and put riders on all your pet issues.