- LOWER PRICETAG possibly: GOP sources tell me it has a lower price tag, now $300 billion, b/c they added offsets. ($600 billion w/ $300 billion in offsets.)
- But need to see if this is real $.
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SENATE GOP COVID PLAN.
As we've expected:
- Would increase unemployment benefits $300/wk per person thru end of year.
- And add new round of PPP for small businesses. Funding for about two months of expenses. For businesses with 300 or fewer workers.
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SENATE GOP COVID PLAN. I'm also told:
- Postal service: $10 billion
- Child care: $10 billion
- A short-term, maybe two-year tax credit for those who give to private or religious schools for scholarships (Ted Cruz plan)
- Testing, tracing money.
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SENATE GOP COVID PLAN.
- It does look like this may have majority support among Sen. GOP, a needle that was not easy to thread.
- Vote expected Thursday.
- But it needs 60 votes to advance, and that is NOT expected... w/ no change, it likely fails there.
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@SpeakerJohnson Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris: "I haven't had a chance to talk to Mr. Ogles."
He added that we have gone too far away from September 11th, we've forgotten (radical Islam as a danger).
Q&A w/ House Whip Tom Emmer.
Me: What do you think of the comment 'Muslims don't belong in American society'?
Emmer: People who refuse to assimilate and follow a radical ideology that seeks to commit violence and terrorist acts have no business being in this country.
Me: Sure. I'm asking about Muslims, though.
Emmer: Again, people who commit terrorist acts and are committed to a radical ideology who have come to this country and refuse to assimilate and rip off the generosity of American citizens – they don't belong here.
Me: I don't want to conflate your words or misconstrue them. Are you saying that Muslims are that kind of person?
Emmer: I think I made it clear.
Desjardins: No … Are you saying that Muslim Americans (crosstalk) are violent?
Emmer: I'm going to say anybody who fits this, anybody who comes to this country, and hides behind a radical ideology refusing to assimilate to American values and takes advantage of the American citizen. I mean, I filed a scam act.
Me: Do you think any Muslims belong in American society?
Emmer: Again, people who come to this country and refuse to assimilate and are practicing…
Me (could not let it go): But I’m asking about Muslims. My description doesn't fit your description. I'm talking about Muslims.
Emmer: I think Muhammad Ali, I think we’ve got Ahmad Rashad. I think we've got plenty of examples of good people that have been in this country.
BREAKING: The Trump administration plans to put money raised from seizure of Venezuelan oil into bank accounts *outside* the U.S. Treasury -- they told lawmakers today per multiple sources familiar.
Sources said they understood these as similar or decidedly "off-shore" accounts.
Asking the WH for clarification.
.@nickschifrin and I have now confirmed this with people from both parties and working in both chambers of Congress.
UPDATE:
A helpful Republican Senator tells me the idea here is that the US is showing it does not own the proceeds from the oil it is seizing, but still wants to control it. So not going straight to US government (treasury), but to banks (a bank?) to hold at US direction.
Waiting for WH response and still have a lot of questions.
BREAKING: MN Gov. Tim Walz confirms state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in what he said appears to be politcally motivated assassination.
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Officials confirm Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and have not finished surgery. They are optimistic, but both are in difficult situations.
The area where this happened is under a "shelter at home" order, as law enforcement searches for the perpetrator.
Finally have a chance to look through the Trump proposal. Here's what's in it.
Overall: $9.4 billion in approved spending that Trump wants clawed back, or rescinded.
Foreign aid: $8.3 billion
Public broadcasting: $1.1 billion
Foreign aid highlights. Trump would like to cut:
- $203 million from U.S. contribs to UN, World Health Org and other intl orgs.
- $361 million from intl peacekeeping activities
- $900 million from global health, incl. HIV/AIDs treatment
- $1.7 billion from econ. support fund
More Trump proposed rescissions:
- $2.5 billion for development assistance
- $460 million for Europe + Central Asia
- $496 million for disaster assistance
- $125 million for USAID operating expenses
- $64 milllion for Instte. for Peace, African Devel Fndtn, Inter-American Fndtn