Any COVID-19 Relief Bill Must Benefit the White House

How much moss gathers on a COVID-19 relief bill as it rolls downhill? Quite a lot, thanks to the White House.

President Trump has insisted repeatedly on a payroll tax cut, which would give a tiny bump to employers and employees, but nothing to the unemployed.

Trump insists on a payroll tax cut, a West Wing renovation, and
$175 billlion to keep the FBI's headquarters near his Washington hotel.

If an employer pays lower payroll taxes, that means the Federal Government will end up with less money. Nobody has said which part of the Federal Government will take a hit in the wallet. Will that mean that less money gets to Defense, or to Medicare, or to Social Security? Any guesses?

The Donald has also demanded that the bill include $377 million to renovate the West Wing. What does that have to do with COVID-19 relief?

To top that off, Trump wants the bill to redirect $1.75 billion to build a new FBI headquarters on the HQ's current site, which is one block away from the Trump International Hotel.

Otherwise, the HQ will be built in the suburbs, which would be cheaper and far less disruptive for the agency.

But Trump wants the FBI to stay right next to his hotel. Why? Because otherwise, a new hotel may be built there, and the new hotel would compete with Trump’s hotel.

Hours ago, Trump announced that he won't okay Microsoft's purchase of Tik Tok without an additional, "substantial" payment to the U.S. Treasury. It's not going into Trump's pocket, but it's still a kickback.

Are you hearing that nails-on-a-blackboard sound? Yes, that's how Trump does business.

Once the Republicans iron out these details with the White House, they get to try to muscle the Democrats into accepting a relief bill that doesn’t offer as much relief for Americans as the Democrats want it to include.

There will be high winds on Capitol Hill for days to come.


Photo: "Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/administration-wants-dollar377m-for-west-wing-remodel-in-virus-relief-bill/ar-BB17ljxq?ocid=sf

Also:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-says-tiktok-sale-can-go-through-but-only-if-the-us-gets-a-cut/ar-BB17woF9?ocid=sf
https://apnews.com/286874ea989dc54654f74d24e087a419https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-fbi-headquarters-location-suddenly-important-again-n123
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/508240-gop-signals-trumps-payroll-tax-cut-in-republican-coronavirus-bill-for-now4802
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/07/even-republicans-eye-rolling-trump-coronavirus-relief-bill-demands
https://www.newsweek.com/lawmakers-resist-fbi-spending-coronavirus-bill-trumps-377m-white-house-remodeling-money-draws-1521707https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/21/politics/payroll-tax-cut-trump-congress-relief-negotiations/index.html