The Patriot Post® · Blue-State Bailout Passes

Over the weekend, the Senate passed a massive $1.9 trillion boondoggle. Officially titled the “American Rescue Plan,” this so-called “coronavirus relief bill” should be called the “Blue-State Bailout.” The final vote was 50-49. Every Democrat voted for it, while every Republican opposed it.

As we have previously reported, approximately one-third of the total funding provided in this bill isn’t spent until 2022 or later, and much of it is going to bail out liberal states that refuse to balance their own budgets.

There’s a lot in this bill that is scandalous, like stimulus checks going to convicted murderers on death row. Yes, that’s in the bill. A Republican amendment to prevent your tax dollars from going to convicted terrorists and murderers was defeated on a party-line vote.

Along similar lines, the bill also provides a $50 million bailout to Planned Parenthood, with no strings attached. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) attempted to ensure that the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer funding of abortion, was included in the bill. But Senate Democrats defeated his amendment.

Following the vote, Senator Lankford blasted the pro-abortion left, saying:

“Congress has passed five bipartisan bills in the past 12 months related to the COVID-19 pandemic… All five bills had the normal language that prevents the use of taxpayers’ dollars to pay for abortions.

"But, now Democrats have determined that this partisan COVID bill should direct American tax dollars to abortions. Funding during a pandemic should save lives, not take lives… This shouldn’t be controversial.”

Senator Lankford is absolutely right. This shouldn’t be controversial. But Joe Biden and congressional Democrats aren’t interested in unity or compromise. They are all in for abortion on demand. And the vote on his amendment is all the proof you need.

Useful Idiots

Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden isn’t happy either. Yes, such a group actually exists, but it really should change its name. It’s like “Chickens for Colonel Sanders.”

It issued a statement saying it “felt used and betrayed” that President Biden is supporting this pro-abortion bill. These so-called “pro-life evangelicals” claim they were assured Biden would work with them to protect the Hyde Amendment.

Really? I’m hard-pressed to think of a more naive group of activists. Soviet leaders had a name for people like this who could be convinced to betray their own interests. They called them “useful idiots.”

The “moderate” Joe Biden made a big deal about abandoning the Hyde Amendment in May of 2019, more than year before this group endorsed him. It knew better. And it should surrender its “membership card” in the evangelical pro-life movement!

Indictments Coming?

During an interview with Maria Bartiromo, investigative journalist John Solomon suggested that there may be indictments coming soon from Special Counsel John Durham.

Solomon said that his sources have learned that “a former member of the Comey/McCabe inner circle has begun cooperating” with Durham’s probe. Solomon described this as “a very big breakthrough for John Durham,” and that he may issue criminal indictments in the next six to eight weeks.

That would be welcome news if it happens, but I’m not holding my breath. As Solomon noted, Durham would have to get approval from the Biden Justice Department to issue any indictments.

Good News

According to the latest COVID statistics, the number of new daily coronavirus cases (just over 41,000 reported Sunday) is at its lowest level since early October.

The current number of hospitalizations (just over 40,000) is at its lowest level since mid-October. And the number of daily COVID-related deaths (839) is the lowest since mid-November. Some states are even reporting no new deaths.

Many heartland states that resisted severe lockdowns have actually fared better than states like California and New York, which crushed their people, their small businesses, and their economies.

Even CNN had to admit last week that herd immunity could be coming a lot faster than many experts had predicted.

Of course, that’s exactly what Donald Trump told us would happen fairly soon, and he was blasted by left-wing politicians and their media allies for offering even a glimmer of hope to the American people.

Well, now we’re seeing the numbers plummet, the result of a combination of vaccines developed on Trump’s watch and the approach of herd immunity. Sadly, the Biden administration cannot say anything good about the vaccines without first attacking Trump.

No Plan

By the way, Democrats are using the same playbook to confuse voters about the border crisis.

Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claimed there is a “challenge” at the border because Trump “gutted” the immigration system, and the Biden administration is having to rebuild it.

What?! Donald Trump secured the border, and illegal immigration plummeted.

Claims that Trump “gutted” the immigration system make no sense. So, Trump destroyed the immigration system and illegal immigration stopped. But Team Biden is supposedly rebuilding the immigration system and causing a crisis in the process?

That’s absurd.

What is causing the crisis is that Joe Biden has gutted Trump’s border security policies, and he has no plan to deal with this crisis. You don’t have to take my word for it.

Asked on “Fox News Sunday” about the Biden administration’s plan to get the border crisis under control, Associated Press reporter Julie Pace bluntly responded, “They don’t have a plan at the moment to get this under control.”

And PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor said, “You have a White House that is wanting to say there’s not a crisis at the border, but the numbers don’t lie.”