The “last minute U.S. Congress” at its usual midnight hour passing of money bills. Both houses of Congress managed to put together one of the largest financial bills ever with two bills combined totaling a whopping $2.3T raising the national debt to $ 275T — a Covid Relief Bill of $900 and an Omnibus Bill totaling $1.4T. And of course, lots of pork to be included! Oh yeah with a measly $600 assistance for the people of the U.S.

Here are some of the recipients in the Covid Bill: $45B the transportation system; $25B rental assistance; $15B for the entertainment industry; $82B for K-12 & colleges and universities; $10B childcare; $4.25B mental health and substance abuse; $4.B to help other nations vaccinate their people; $7 B to increase access to broadband; etc. Oh yeah, $600/family in the U.S. including non-documented illegal families! Now for the giant Omnibus Bill inclusions, the “catch all bill”: The Kennedy Center $26.4M; Smithsonian $1B; National Art Gallery $15.4M; National Arts & Humanities $16.7M; W.Wilson Center $14M; and a little extra for some foreign countries: Egypt $1.3B; Sudan $700M; Israel $500M; Ukraine $453M; Burma $135M; Cambodia $85.5M; Pakistan $25M etc. and oh yeah the American people get $600!

Charity begins at home! The Democrats have allegedly stated: “This deal is not everything we want, not by a long shot!” They have also indicated “There is more to come when Biden gets in office!” But on a positive note Congress is not voting themselves a raise. How sweet! Will this debt creation and give-away taxpayer money game ever stop? I doubt it!

George R. Cook

Wilmington