COVID-19 and politics; it’s unfortunate

As the coronavirus scourge becomes a way of life right now, all of us are hopeful that will change quickly. Positive signs that Americans are banding together to fight COVID-19  and the reports the virus may be hitting its peak in some larger metropolitan areas, unfortunately, are being matched with political maneuvering.

The first big example of partisan politics is the stimulus bill that will send checks to most Americans based on income levels and number of children.

However, as our senators and congressmen in Washington in both legislative bodies were putting their bills together, they just couldn’t pass up adding the “pork.”

I don’t have the full list of money spent in the $2.2 trillion bill (doubtful I want to see the full list), but things like $25 million to the Kennedy Center, help for manufacturers of sunscreen technology, wording that allows for-profit colleges to keep loan money for students who drop out due to the coronavirus, money for NASA, a water project in Utah and more should not have been included in the bill.

However, senators and representatives alike, both Republican and Democrat, threatened to hold up their votes if their pet projects didn’t make it in the bill. Meanwhile, the stimulus checks for Americans and help for small businesses stalled

The bill finally did pass with a 96-0 vote in the Senate. In the House, it passed with a quorum of more than 216 members  present.

In times like this, partisan politics should be put aside. However, that’s apparently too much to expect, even in these unprecedented times.