Stimulus Bill 2021 (3/17/21) - Charles McPhail
Stimulus Bill 2021 (3/17/21) - Charles McPhail
The House and Senate recently passed the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill last week. The bill was dubbed the American Rescue Plan and was finally approved in the House with a vote of 220-211 The bill received no bipartisan support as all Republicans in both the House and the Senate voted against the bill, however two Democrats also voted against the package in the House. The bill includes the $1,400 checks that will be sent to Americans that meet the income requirements, fulfilling one of Biden’s campaign promises. This, however, is only one part of the larger bill.
The American Rescue Plan also contains an extension of the $300 weekly unemployment benefits and a tax break on up to $10,000 in unemployment benefits. It also includes an expansion of the child tax credit for lower-income individuals throughout the year. A significant amount of the rescue plan also includes money for local governments and schools. $350 billion is reserved for state and local government, and another $130 billion is for all schools and colleges around the country, including SMSD. SMSD will receive 796,527 dollars from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act from December, and may receive $1.7 million from this new stimulus bill.
Small businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic as well so there is also funding and bailouts reserved for them in the bill. People who have been unemployed during the pandemic will not have easy access to health insurance so the bill also includes a final section of funding to expand health insurance and Medicare temporarily to those who are unemployed or in need. The only thing that was absent from this bill that many Americans were hoping for was the minimum wage increase to $15 per hour, which was negotiated out of the bill. Americans should be receiving their stimulus checks all throughout this week.
References:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/03/10/what-is-in-the-stimulus/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/07/us/politics/whats-in-the-stimulus-bill.html
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the restrictions, the quarantines, and lockdowns almost a year ago, there have been numerous discussions and predictions for when we will be safely able to go back to normal. Whether this means full capacity in restaurants and stores or being able to drop mask mandates and social distancing requirements without worry, we have all been anticipating the day that we can return to normal. With vaccine rollouts going out more and more, schools, businesses, and the like are becoming more and more anxious for the all clear from public officials. But what if the all clear comes too soon?
For example, Texas took an abrupt turn yesterday when Governor Greg Abbott announced that he is lifting the mask mandate and allowing businesses to open at 100% capacity despite several health officials’ warnings. While yes, cases of coronavirus and hospitalization rates are dropping across the country, we have to keep in mind that they have dropped thanks to the restrictions we have put in place. Relaxing these restrictions during a critical time as we continue to work against the pandemic has been warned by health officials to lead to another surge. And even worse for Texas, only 6.57% of its residents have been vaccinated according to John Hopkins University. We have to remember that even with vaccines being rolled out we will not be 100% safe and secure yet. Not everyone has been vaccinated and even if you have, there is still a necessity to wear a mask and social distance because of a few of the unknowns surrounding vaccinations. Currently it is unknown how long protection lasts and if you could spread the virus to others. Neither of these variables is implying that you shouldn’t get vaccinated, because it is much more ensured that not getting vaccinated will allow less protection against the deadly virus. But alas, Texas has made an unwise decision that may have deadly consequences.
Currently we are seeing similar questions to the one that Texas hastily answered. One of the most common that I have heard has been about returning to regular school or at the very least more in person education than the hybrid schedule allows now. Cumberland Valley has been discussing the topic as well as Big Spring. Both Cumberland Valley and Big Spring are relatively larger schools to our own Boiling Springs and both have come up with ideas for how they could increase the amount of in-person learning their students are receiving. Cumberland Valley is suggesting that all of their students go back five days a week every week but for only three hours to cut down on exposure times. Big Spring suggests that their students go back for the regular length of the school day everyday except Fridays so that Fridays can be a deep cleaning day in the school. While I do agree that in-person education is to be preferred over online school, we shouldn’t run right back to going everyday just yet. All adults in the United States are predicted to be vaccinated by May, but the timeline for students has not been as surely declared. We have to remember that the case rate has stayed slow as a result of following the restrictions put in place, such as the exposure limits we currently have for school and the mask and social distancing mandates in Texas. Getting back to normal is a day we all look forward to but it is not one we can manufacture by ignoring health officials’ recommendations.
Winter Storm Uri has swallowed the southern states as a whole and has not given up. Still pounding Texas as we speak, the storm has left many individuals still without power since the initial storm on the 12th of February. According to poweroutage.us, 2.6 million Texans were still without power as of Wednesday evening and another round of the storm is predicted to occur Thursday as well, with potentially up to 8 more inches.
Weather forecasters have noted that the worst of the storm has already passed, but it is a struggle for the power companies, as most of Texas is without power and has been for days now. As the storm moves up the East Coast, we can expect some snow and sleet today, Thursday the 18th, and potentially some into Friday. As a result of this major storm making its way across the United States, it is believed that currently 71% of the United States is covered in snow. The East Coast has had some other big snow storms so far throughout the season that has brought many inches of snow as well.
As someone who does not like the cold at all and does not really like snow all that much, I can for sure say I have had enough and am ready for spring to come! Too bad the groundhog saw his shadow and we still have six more weeks of winter! I hope everyone who has been affected by Winter Storm Uri is staying safe and warm, and that they will get their power back soon. I remember when I have had to go days without power and it was for sure a struggle and not something I could do for long.
As a result of Winter Storm Uri, vaccinating stations for the COVID-19 vaccine have been shut down because of the delay of the vaccines arriving at the stations, as well as nobody can get to them because of the dangerous conditions of the roads. It is expected that the earliest vaccine shipments will arrive on Wednesday. As a result of this, President Joe Biden may not reach his goal of the amount of vaccines he wants to have administered by the date he already set forth. It has been a struggle to keep the doses from spoiling, so many companies and vaccine centers have had to move all of their doses to a place that currently has power and can keep them from spoiling. Overall, I hope all those who have been affected by Winter Storm Uri can stay safe and get their power back as soon as they can, as well as those who need the vaccine can get it at their earliest convenience.
References:
Winter Storm Uri (BBC)
Winter Storm Uri (Washington Post)