House Dems' emergency coronavirus stimulus bill includes $35M for JFK Performing Arts Center

Fox News ^ | March 24, 2020 | Joseph A. Wulfsohn

[lowbridge]

House Democrats are being criticized on Monday for allotting expenses in their proposal of an emergency stimulus bill that has nothing to do with the coronavirus outbreak, including $35 million meant for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

Following the Senate Democrats derailing the pursuit of a bipartisan-drafted stimulus bill, the House led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., offered their own version of a bill meant to save the economy as the pandemic has pummelled the stock market. However, buried inside the over 1,100-page emergency proposal is money meant to upkeep a popular destination at the country's capital.

"For an additional amount for 'Operations and Maintenance,' $35,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for operations and maintenance requirements related to the consequenees of coronavirus: Provided, That notwithstanding the provisions of 20 U.S.C. 76th et seq., funds provided in this Act shall be made available to cover operating expenses required to ensure the continuity of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and its affiliates, including for employee compensation and benefits, grants, contracts, payments for rent or utilities, fees for artists or performers,  information technology and other administrative expenses," the bill reads.

The next page of the bill indicates that $300 million would be allotted for the National Endowment of the Arts and an additional $300 million for the National Endowment of the Humanities. The bill also provides $100 million for NASA and $278 million for the IRS.

Such expenses, particularly the $35 million for the performing arts center, raised eyebrows on social media.

"$35 Mil for the Kennedy Center is essential for battling the Coronavirus, says Nancy Pelosi," the Federalist publisher Ben Domenech reacted.

[Vendome]

$100 million for NASA?

Can they afford it?/s

[Vendome]

Wait til it passes, then you can see what’s in it...

[luvie]

She is a disgusting pig!

[LukeL]

As time goes by I believe in Calvinism more and more.

[Yosemitest]

Here's some FACTS on that DemocRAT proposal and just how much they want to screw the U.S. Citizen workers.

... “Speaker Pelosi unveiled legislation aimed at exploiting the COVID-19 public health crisis by attempting to force the inclusion of a socialist wish list of policies that have nothing to do with the public health and economic emergency,” said House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican.

After poring over the 1,400-page proposal, Mr. Scalise offered his characterization of Republicans’ objections to the following items:

Under the heading of “Union Giveaways”:

• Nullifies the White House executive orders on federal collective bargaining and codifies taxpayer-funded union official time.

• Requires a labor union representative on every airline’s board of directors.

• Multiemployer pension bailout lacking needed reforms.

• Permanently raises the minimum wage to $15 for any business that receives federal aid for COVID-19.

• Cancels all debt owed by the U.S. Postal Service to the Treasury.

Under the heading “Green New Deal priorities”:

• Requires all airlines that receive assistance to offset carbon emissions for domestic flights by 2025.

• Includes a $1 billion “cash for clunkers” airplane program where the Transportation Department buys fuel-inefficient planes from airlines in exchange for agreeing to buy new ones.

• Includes expansive new tax-credit for solar and wind energy.

Under “Student Loan Forgiveness”:

• $10,000 blanket loan forgiveness.

Under “Federalizing Elections”:

• Mandates how states must run elections, including the nationalization of ballot harvesting, requiring early voting, same day registration, and no-excuse vote by mail.

• Puts states at risk of costly litigation if they are unable to implement these stringent mandates ahead of the 2020 election.

Under “Immigration Provisions”:

• Requires the Homeland Security Department to automatically extend visas and work authorizations expiring within the next year, including those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status, for an amount of time equal to their prior visa, authorization or status.

• Limits Customs and Border Patrol’s ability to shutdown processing centers if there is a health crisis on the border and requires CBP to assure the timely adjudication of asylums applications.

• Would allow certain funding to go to sanctuary cities.

Under “Overreaching Mandates on Businesses”:

• Permanent changes to who can serve on corporate boards of directors for companies that receive assistance for payroll and operating costs.

• Mandatory disclosure on supply chain management.

• Requires board diversity disclosure for all publicly traded companies.

• Ban on all federal rulemaking including non-COVID 19 proposals (extends 30 days after emergency) “in an attempt to delay the current administration from promulgating actions House Democrats disagree with.”

Under “New Permanent Mandates”:

• Virtually rewrites the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program policy with no reference to COVID-19 and permanently disallows rulemaking pertaining to work requirements and eligibility.

• Permanent expansion of Obamacare entitlement, “putting the American taxpayer on the hook for endless and unchecked health insurance spending and would remove all incentives for insurers to reduce the cost of health insurance.”

Mr. Scalise said the Democrats’ bill also excludes bipartisan health-care provision in the Senate bill, including a proposal to expand telehealth access for home dialysis patients, hospice and home health patients; and a measure to prevent a payment reduction for durable medical equipment to help patients’ better transition from the hospital to home.

“Instead of working in a bipartisan, bicameral way to provide this immediate relief, the speaker has proposed legislation that includes highly partisan provisions while excluding key patient care provisions that would have a real impact on Americans affected by COVID-19,” Mr. Scalise told his Republican colleagues.

[JustaTech]

This is pathetic pandering to rich dilettante donors in hopes of keeping the money turned on, notwithstanding their presumptive candidate being a walking vegetable.

The Democratic Party has fallen to the level of giving bjs in alleys for nickels. Though it was a short drop.

[Fresh Wind]

Trump needs to kill this beast if somehow it escapes from Con-gress.

He needs to make this atrocity topic number one at the next briefing so that the country knows what the Rats are up to.

[Ymani Cricket]

Can’t wait till November. Even seats these demturds thought were safe will be overturned!

[Syncro]

Is this stuff still in it?

1. Corporate pay statistics by race and race statistics for all corporate boards at companies receiving assistance

2. Bailing out all current debt of postal service

3. Required early voting

4. Required same day voter registration

5. 10k bailout for student loans

6. For companies accepting assistance, 1/3 of board members must be chosen by workers

7. Provisions on official time for union collective bargaining

8. Full offset of airline emissions by 2025

9. Greenhouse gas statistics for individual flights

10. Retirement plans for community newspaper employees

11. $15 minimum wage at companies receiving assistance

https://dbdailyupdate.com/index.php/2020/03/23/sen-tom-cotton-details-democrat-depravity-since-the-corrupt-media-wont-do-it/

[Syncro]

“Instead of working in a bipartisan, bicameral way to provide this immediate relief, the speaker has proposed legislation that includes highly partisan provisions while excluding key patient care provisions that would have a real impact on Americans affected by COVID-19,” Mr. Scalise told his Republican colleagues. ****

Vote no on ANY bill that includes stuff that has NOTHING to do with the current virus crisis.

[ScottinVA]

“I don’t honestly know what I’d do if I saw Pelosi laying helpless in the street.”

I know what I’d do.. follow the social-distancing protocol and continue on by.

[mabarker1]

Test Forward and Reverse function of Your car’s Transmission for at least 2 hours.

The bump will get smaller and shorter.

[eartick]

The hoaxademic has run its course and the demonrats have showed their hand.

PDJT needs to bring this money bingeing to a halt.

Enough money has already been wasted by government shutdowns due to the FNM and Democrat party weaponizing a virus.

[4Liberty]

Where Is US Atty Durham?!

[preacher]

l8r

[Joe Boucher]

Mr. Trump, veto this buss shit pork bill and let the people of the U.S. know why./

[SauronOfMordor]

I think Trump’s plan is to let the Dems haggle incessantly over ever-more-insane levels of goodies in the stimulus package.

And in a week, when they are still at it, note that deaths are down, and cases are recovering, and tell Pelosi “Sorry, you had your chance, don’t need it now, goodbye “

[Dave W]

You are aware, that events were canceled at the JFK Performing Arts Center, through no fault of their own. That place has three big venues: A broadway theater, a concert hall and an opera house and 4 or 5 smaller venues, all under one roof.

Plus there is a parking garage underground - all of which is now bringing in zero revenue for the forseeable future.

You may not be aware, that it is also considered the official memorial to JFK.

So, as you contemplate the damage to the economy brought by the closure of the US economy, you may want to spend time pondering the damage done to the performing arts community, who only get paid by performance - at least many do.

Also, the Kennedy Center is publicly owned by the federal govt anyway and managed by a public/private partnership.

So, I would consider the request valid. The disastrous shuttering of this economy will have years long consequences and this is one of many that no one gave a thought about. This will cause the federal govt to go many more trillions in debt.

[CommieCutter]

Oh kinda like our “Infrastructure” money,

[Dave W]

Why? The Kennedy Center is owned by the federal government and is JFK's official memorial.

You do understand that the Kennedy Center is dark - the place is huge with multiple venues. It was built in the early 60s, is over 50 years old and needs alot more maintenance than it did a few decades ago.

You obviously are only beginning to understand the vast cost of shutting down the entire US economy. I have a feeling Trump's economic advisers scared him Sunday night for him to tweet that the cure can't be worse than the disease. Good. I was glad to see it.