House Democrats released the following weeks full textTheir big-government socialism $3.5 Trillion tax-and-spend package
Many of the most important elements were already obvious. It would recklessly increase federal spending at a moment of high inflation, impose tax hikes that are ruinous when the post-pandemic recovery is still fragile, and impose anti-work regulations. welfare state.
However, due to the incredible length of the bill—2,465 pages, or about the length of two King James Bibles—there are thousands of separate provisions, far more than can be properly analyzed by legislators or the public.
Here are just ten of the absurdities contained in the bill.
1) $25 Million for ‘Anti-discrimination and Bias Training’ at HHS
Federal agencies have promoted critical race theory and other far-left agendas to employees in a number of instances. The bill’s Section 31056 aims to legalize such training at the Department of Health and Human Services (the largest non-defense agency).
House Democrats believe that a government that focuses on social benefits programs administration is a haven for racists.
2) $200 Million for Presidio Trust, aka ‘Pelosi’s Park’
Section 70203 in the bill earmarks $200 millions Presidio TrustThe park is located in the north-end of San Francisco and is represented by Nancy Pelosi, D.Calif.
Many scenic views can be found in the Presidio park, as well as a golf course. San Francisco is one of the wealthiest parts of the country and can easily afford to support the park, which makes this handout egregious even without Pelosi’s involvement.
3) Welfare for Journalists
The bill includes many tax increases, but it also provides loopholes for politically favored groups. One of these, Section 138517, would give a tax credit toward “compensation for local news journalists.”
The secretary of the treasury is required to issue “regulations and guidance as are necessary,” which could allow the government to determine what counts as “news.”
Worse, the tax credit is “refundable,” meaning that a money-losing organization would get a check from Uncle Sam, rather than simply not owing anything. That means it’s corporate welfare.
That would serve to prop up media organizations that the public doesn’t consider valuable enough to support voluntarily. We need to be forced to do this, it seems.
Activists and Bureaucrats to Take on Landlords
The activist left insists that housing is a right—and that this supersedes fundamental private property rights, including the ability of property owners to exclude others from squatting or to evict tenants who refuse to honor their rental agreements.
This idea was advanced by the federal government with its unconstitutional moratorium on evictions, under the pretense of preventing the spread COVID-19.
Congress wants to finance anti-property activists to the tune $1.25 billion. This includes legal hurdles for property owner who are just trying to defend their rights against delinquent tenant tenants.
Sections 40106 and 40107 might not explicitly require funding for left-leaning groups, but phrases like “fair housing organizations” can only be reasonably understood to mean exactly that.
5) $4.5 Billion for Federal Housing Plan Takeover
The bill seeks a federal takeover in housing policy. This could be done through massive construction of public housing or by bribing local governments to change zoning rules.
Washington elites can dictate the character of local neighborhoods, thereby limiting the ability of local residents and local governments to decide the unique features of their community.
There are many options to choose from. reformHousing policy is not a one-size fits all federal mandate. Yet Section 40103 would dedicate $4.5 billion just for bureaucrats at all levels of government to “develop” and “evaluate” housing plans.
The private sector could build tens or thousands of housing units with that amount of money. But this bill would tax the businesses to pay bureaucrats to look at building houses.
6) $26.5 billion for Left-Wing Transportation Programmes
Congress is poised to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure package. This package was created after months of bipartisan negotiations.
The package already moves federal transportation policy solidly to the left, including many new programs relating to “social justice” and “climate.”
The fact that President Joe Biden was one of the reasons moderate Republicans supported this bill is one reason. promisedNot to include more transportation funding within the Democrat-only $3.5 billion social spending bill. This would indicate that the bipartisan negotiations were not a true giving-and-taking.
The partisan bill, however, contains Sections 110002 through 11012, which total $26.5 billion for rail, transportation programs, and slush funds.
That’s exactly the “double dipping” that Biden vowed to avoid, and is yet another reason why Congress should move away from the flawed bipartisan bill before it’s too late.
7) Additional funding for bureaucrats, Ad Campaigns
The legislation contains trillions of dollars’ worth of new benefit programs. Normally, the price for a program includes the cost of paying government employees who manage it and any public awareness activities.
Yet, this bill is stuffed with at least $13.3Billion in additional funding specifically for federal bureaucrats. It also includes billions for ad campaign spending on top of the trillions of program costs.
This demonstrates the true socialist nature and intent of the bill. The goal is to make as many people as possible dependent upon as many government programs possible so that those who support these big-government programs remain in power.
8) Subsidize Local Teacher Recruitment
The spending package includes hundreds of billions of dollars to fund the left’s vision of education, including “free” community college tuition, “free” school meals, and poorly crafted pre-K programs.
Even smaller education provisions can be flawed. Section 20006 of the bill would give $197 million for “Grow Your Own,” a concept that prioritizes schools hiring teachers that live nearby.
These staffing decisions are open to local districts and school boards. But the federal government shouldn’t micromanage them.
9) $7.5 Billion ‘Community’ Slush Fund
One of many housing initiatives in the bill, Section 40105, would give $7.5 billion for a “community restoration and revitalization” fund.
The money would go toward nebulous concepts, such as “creating equitable civic infrastructure” and “capacity building,” which would give bureaucrats the ability to fund housing projects or left-wing activistsThey can do whatever they like.
Unfortunately, such place-based subsidiesThey often fail to help those in greatest need and are susceptible to inefficient allocations or even corruption.
They do not address the root causes of poverty, namely children who are denied an educational choice, children trapped in government regulations, burdensome business regulations, mismanagement of government funds, or disempowered police enforcement.
10) Two Decades of Funding to Obscure Tech Accounts
Sections 80010, 80011 would give $2.35 billion to the Federal Citizen Services Fund. It deals with government websites and information technology in the executive branch.
They already receive annual funding from the appropriations process. The bill would provide funding equivalent to 20 years for the Federal Citizen Services Fund, and 25 years for executive branch information technology.
That sort of largesse (at taxpayers’ expense) demonstrates the complete lack of prioritization that characterizes the legislation.
These are just a few of the many reasons Congress should avoid the largest tax-andspend bill in history. It would have real economic and social costs.
Do you have a comment about this article? Please email to share your thoughts. [email protected] and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Include the article’s URL or headline, as well as your name and hometown.
