What should congress do about stimulus?

If these actions aren’t taken fast Congress (and government broadly) will have lost the trust of the American people, making the last few years look like a picnic.

We’re in the midst of an economic meltdown not seen since 1932, and the US government is clearly unfit for purpose. Congress played political games with a stimulus package and now can’t decide on anything basic. Pelosi, McConnell, and Trump will all be remember for their reckless elitism in the face of so much suffering. If you ever wonder why the American electorate voted for lunatics, this is what drives them to!

We have to give a special notice to the GOP for their ghoulish callousness, but the blame goes all around as well here. If the following steps aren’t taken as a starting point and a very bare minimum, then there’s no hope for a functional government anytime soon.

1. In this “lame duck” session both parties must coalesce and immediately pass the compromise $900bn package as a matter of life and death, on the condition the immunity clauses for healthcare providers are removed.
2. Biden must commit to the Democratic proposal as soon as inaugurated as a bare minimum, not the ultimate goal. Regardless of congress, he must shout and shout and make clear he won’t budge or do anything else until the cowards vote with him; and their consistently will be reminded of this. We need aggression not chunks of the deal sold off. Biden recognises much of the dollars went to the wrong people last time; let’s see it ensured this goes to the right people rather than corporate fat cats who can keep going.
3. Work with a Keynesian strategy of stimulus to power the economy; no cutbacks, no deficit demagoguery, keep the recovery going until everyone’s made it, and prosperity is spread. Undo the mistakes of the Obama years and cement an electoral coalition that isn’t on the brink of collapse.

When the GOP or conservative Dems don’t play ball, run against congress in 2022 and make clear it’s their fault. Even Obama is saying he didn’t shout enough about what he was trying to do, let’s see this happen this time, let’s shame the opposition into cooperating, so it’s politically harmful not to.

Our options are this, or a complete breakdown of civil society, rendering America ungovernable for the foreseeable future, and potentially ever.