Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Standoff: Paid Sick Leave, A Payroll Tax Cut — Or Both

Huffpost ^ | 3/11/2o | Matt Fuller and Arthur Delaney

[DoodleDawg]

It’s starting to look like a classic standoff between Capitol Hill and the White House: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democrats insist that a Coronavirus stimulus bill primarily address paid sick leave while President Donald Trump and some Republicans hold strong for a payroll tax cut.

On Tuesday, Trump came to the Capitol to sell Senate Republicans on his plan to temporarily suspend or reduce the payroll tax ― a 12.4% levy evenly split between employees and employers. Some Republicans have floated the idea of eliminating the payroll tax for 90 days to help the economy deal with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak. Trump has proposed suspending it until Election Day.

Coming out of the meeting, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) suggested Democrats ought to like the payroll tax idea, noting that Democrats and the Obama administration supported a temporary 2-percentage-point reduction in the tax from 2011 through 2012.

[DoodleDawg]

"He also said he was resistant to a payroll tax cut because it would undermine Social Security and Medicare, two programs that the levy helps fund. “It’s a cynical tactic in my view to carry through on ― you know, the president said in his budget he wants to cut Medicare and Social Security,” Takano said."

And this is how the Democrats will paint any misguided attempt to eliminate the payroll tax - part of the Republican war on Social Security and Medicare. It might be a pretty effective argument.

[CharleysPride]

Direct stimulus, $5k refund for every filer.

[Sacajaweau]

I remember when Obama pulled that....but for no damn good reason....also Obama’s kill the used cars....for no damn good reason...and the bailouts.....oh my.

[C19fan]

A major economic impact will be people losing their jobs even if temporarily in hospitality and like industries. A payroll tax cut will do nothing for them.

[Secret Agent Man]

no paid sick leave.

set the precedent then everything will be paid sick leave

you know its true

this is how they shove paid maternity leave down our throats

[shanover]

This may very well be how President Trump is defeated. The low information and overly emotional voter will vote accordingly.

[meyer]

Who will pay for paid sick leave?

That will make 2 things happen - people will abuse their sick time, and the cost to manufacture in the US will again rise to cover the cost, thereby pushing things back out of the country.

[Vendome]

It wouldn’t undermine SS.

reduce the payroll FICA and other taxes, leaving SS contributions.

[JonPreston]

If DJT tosses in a cut to social security benefits he might get a few of principled conservatives to vote for the package.

[Jamestown1630]

I live in an area where a lot of poorer people - mostly Hispanic immigrants - routinely buy old clunkers, fix them up, and use them for years. That was a really bad program for them.

[usconservative]

Direct stimulus, $5k refund for every filer.

Hold on a second there. Initially I liked the idea then I thought about it for more than three seconds. Here's the reality of your proposal: For many this would simply be another EITC (un-Earned Income Tax Credit.) That's nothing more than wealth re-distribution at that point.

I call b.s. on it.

Payroll tax holiday for everyone who earns a paycheck is the way to go, IMO. Those who make more should get more back. Those who pay little should get little back. That's called having skin in the game.

Don't like getting "a little" back because you're a lifer minimum wage flunkee? Go to school, improve yourself, get a better job. Minimum wage was never meant to be a way of life.

[blackdog]

The "Cloward-Piven Virus" destruction of Trump.

Politicizing the flu.

[DoodleDawg]

If DJT tosses in a cut to social security benefits he might get a few of principled conservatives to vote for the package.

And millions of Social Security recipients voting against him in the election.

[CharleysPride]

Payroll tax cuts are great, but they won’t do anything

for people who are shut out of work. Nor are they a

stimulus.

A $5k Refund, is just that. If you paid less in taxes,

then you get the lesser amount. It is not a “giveaway”

[Buckeye McFrog]

Mandatory paid sick leave and maternity/paternity leave are on my growing list of bad ideas which are inevitable IMHO.

The majority of the public wants them.
Donald Trump does not oppose them.

Therefore they become reality sooner rather than later.

[nascarnation]

Unless it comes out as some type of earned income credit where you get back more than you paid in if in a low bracket.

[DoodleDawg]

reduce the payroll FICA and other taxes, leaving SS contributions.

FICA is the Social Security contribution.

[ifinnegan]

Definitely using this to enact socialist measures and promote socialism.

I saw the Superintendent of Seattle schools on tv yesterday. They’re closing schools and will teach over the Internet. Interviewer asked about poor students with no access and of course she went in to a big inequality thing and how these economic disparities must be addressed etc...

[chiller]

I support anything that increases take home pay and demonstrates how much govt. confiscates. That realization alone would pay dividends.