Had the pleasure ysd to meet Father Gary Wegner, who runs a Detroit soup kitchen
Wegner says demand is up ~80% over last yr w/ hunger rising nationally
“Jesus said blessed are the poor,” Wegner said. “Only in America do we put the modifier, ‘Blessed are the *deserving* poor’”
Johneka Austin, 42, a banquet server with 5 sons, saw her food stamps cut from $843 to $400-$500 as covid aid expiration hit ~1M Michiganders
She’s torn bw buying good groceries & Internet for her sons
Austin laughed when I asked whether the economy is good. “Nobody says that!”
Nate Standing, 31, right, was homeless & a drug addict for about 10 years. He said an extended treatment program made possible by covid aid allowed him to get sober — and eventually a job with Capuchin Soup Kitchen
But now he’s seeing a big increase in need, esp for families
Due largely to an unexpected surge in immigration, the U.S. economy will be about $7 trillion larger - & federal revenues about $1T bigger - the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday
That impact is over 10 years, to be clear. It does not take into account any legislation that Congress may or may not approve
Newt Gingrich, former House speaker who remains Trump confidant, says Trump may propose converting tariff revenue into Alaska-dividend style payment to U.S. households.
(I find it very hard/impossible to see the GOP going along with this, which they would have to)
Summary of deal as I understand it:
— Debt ceiling raised 2 years
— Domestic programs frozen next year, up 1% ‘25. Inflation-adjusted cut
— Boosts defense, VA $
— Some tightening of work requirements on TANF, SNAP
— Energy permitting (details tbd)
— Claw back some new IRS $
Work requirement for food stamps moves from 50 to 54
Trying to get more clarity on tanf sorry I’m not sure will update when I learn more details
My understanding is the energy permitting changes are very minimal
If Biden aides can find just a few days’ worth of extra cash, it is possible they can make it to June 15
Critical here: If they make it to June 15, a whole bunch of new tax revenue comes in — & they may be able to punt the deadline to July
Obviously not the preferred outcome
Despite the attention to legally novel arguments around the coin and 14A, there’s a key separate set of options - also likely controversial - to simply delay the x date rather than simply end the standoff as those ideas do
(Don’t you love the idea of doing this for longer?)
UPDATE: Negotiators have failed to make progress on debt ceiling talks despite looming June 3 wedding for reporter Jeff Stein’s wedding, per sources. (The impasse also threatens the stability of the global economy)