While Americans are on lockdown, struggling to pay bills and buy food, progressives (AKA socialists) in Congress tried to sneak their radical agenda into life-saving legislation. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia, even referred to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the “Pied Piper of Pork” for her attempts to shove components of the Green New Deal – and MORE – into the aid package so badly needed by families and businesses.
In an article entitled “Global Green New Deal Supporters Urge World Leaders to Learn From Coronavirus to Tackle Climate Crisis,” a statement from the Democratic Socialists of America reads: “The coronavirus pandemic makes what we’ve already known clear: We need a Green New Deal to stop climate change, provide desperately needed jobs, and halt future mass pandemics.”
Huh?
Can anyone explain how global warming relates to pandemics? Especially in light of the fact that viruses tend to die off as weather gets warmer.
But, hey, leftists attribute just about everything to climate change, because their ardent intent is to seize political power.
As you may be aware, the Green New Deal isn’t only about greenhouse gases, renewable energy and the like, but also focuses on “income inequality” and other social justice issues. Its tenets include universal health care, universal basic income, a $15 federal minimum wage, the erasure of student loan debt, expansion of union rights… and more.
Many of these concepts were tucked away in Pelosi’s version of the 1,100-page, $2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.” Cheered on by left-wing Democrats, Pelosi also attempted to force corporations receiving government aid through this bill to implement “diversity and inclusion” programs, as if that has anything to do with the current health situation. The House version incorporated the words “diversity” or “diverse” 63 times, “inclusion” 14 times, and “minority” 109 times. Seriously? Does COVID-19 discriminate based on ethnicity or skin color? Aren’t we all in this together?
“Pelosi and Schumer are willing to risk your life, your job, your retirement savings for a radical, left-wing wish list that has nothing to do with this virus,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas. “It’s disgraceful.” This attempt to push through expensive, nonessential, highly partisan agenda items is the height of narcissism.
Are Democrats interested in your family, your health, your welfare? No! Instead, they attempted to use this tragedy to inject leftist identity politics and socialist principles into all aspects of the economy.
Some of their wish-list items were removed by the Republican-controlled Senate; others were reduced in size or dollar value. And after much negotiation, both houses of Congress were able to pass a bipartisan bill. Less than ideal, it was nevertheless signed by President Trump on March 27.
In answer to the headline on a Forbes magazine article, “Is There Wasteful Spending in the Coronavirus Stimulus Bill?” the simple answer is “yes.” Hold your nose and read some of the details here: http://bit.ly/COVID19Bill. On second thought, you shouldn’t be touching your face!
In one example of wasteful spending, the bill includes $25 million for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Mere hours after Trump signed the bill, Kennedy Center management announced they would stop paying National Symphony Orchestra musicians. Are you shocked? I’m not.
In a peculiar way, even without radical legislation, we’re experiencing positive environmental effects from the pandemic. Yes, people are sick and dying, but environmentalists could be silently cheering. COVID-19 has demobilized the global economy. Oil prices are dropping like a rock – nobody wants the stuff, which should make AOC happy. Many types of manufacturing are on hold, jetliners are grounded, freeway traffic has dropped dramatically, public bus and train schedules are severely curtailed. Such changes are measurably reducing pollution. And it’s visible from space.
NASA satellites are reporting dramatic atmospheric changes. To see photos and videos of reduced greenhouse gas levels in Spain, Italy, China, etc., visit www.Space.com. According to China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, data recorded between January and March 2020 reflects an 84.5% increase in days with good air quality in 337 cities. Such reductions in pollution, according to a Stanford University researcher, may prevent 50,000 to 75,000 people from dying prematurely.
Interesting tradeoff.
Patricia Suzanne is a professional writer, retired small business owner, and conservative Republican activist. She was born and raised in the once Golden State of California, now a land of despair and disrepair for all but elite leftist Democrats and their cronies.
