As much of the nation was told to quarantine in their homes, a significant part of our economy was shut down. But not to worry! The federal government was working on a plan to help the American workers most impacted by the virtual shutdown of our country. The Senate worked together across the aisle crafting a bill helping struggling workers.

Alas, just before the Senate could vote on the bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rode into town to halt the voting for a week. There were some “critical” funding needs not in the bill to help fight the COVID-19 plague. As usual, the 880-page stimulus bill was passed before anyone had time to read it. It’s a new method of government Pelosi developed when Barack Obama was president. “We have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it,” she infamously said regarding the ObamaCare legislation.

Well, the relief bill was passed and now we’re learning what the urgent needs were that held up getting support to workers who lost their jobs. Let’s glance at just a few of the funding projects. This is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

This is one of my favorites, only because I have so much culture: $25 million for the Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington, DC. Now it’s a little vague what the money is going to be used for. In fact, after the bill passed, the Kennedy Center gave out pick slips to employees until such an outcry arose that those employees will now be paid.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting received a total of $150 million dollars to keep NPR and PBS on the air. Thank God NPR will be able to keep broadcasting. I was afraid there would be no left-wing talk shows to remind us how horrible we are. And Big Bird (not Mayor de Blasio, the one with feathers) will still have a job at PBS. Unless he gets a pink slip too!

In light of the pandemic crisis and the stay-at-home orders that all but five states have (so far), I was puzzled by the $350 million dollars for “Refugee Assistance.” Over 20% of the country is unemployed, but somehow refugee resettlement that already has funds needed more! This helps Americans out of work … how exactly?

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) received a total of $150 million dollars combined. According to their website, the NEA is going to give it away to artists in need. THE NEH is a little vague about what they’re going to do. They said they will give some of it away for … something.

The list goes on and on: $1 BILLION for Amtrak (always a worthy cause), $13 million for Howard University, $15 million for Drug Enforcement, etc. The BIG question is, what do any of these grants have to do with COVID-19 assistance?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer brought the already approved legislation to a screeching halt as soon as Pelosi came to town. Together, they added so much pork to the stimulus bill and now they want more — but with ridiculous strings attached to benefit their constituents. How can we trust these far-left politicians to do anything that helps Americans first?

Something to think about?