I’ll give you a day or two–longer than congress persons had to read and understand everything in it.

Here’s Page !. Only thousands more pages to go.

In other words, it’s a pig-in-a-poke. A shot-in-the-dark. A ticking time bomb.

I couldn’t upload all tens of thousands of words here without crashing ChicagoNow, so here’s the link to the legislation blindly passed by Democrats in the House of Representatives. At least I think it’s the version the Democrats passed; it’s hard to tell which version is the real one. This version was sent by the Budget Committee to the floor on November 3.

So, start reading now. The clock’s ticking.

The media tried to describe what’s in the bill, usually summarizing the highlights with bullet points. Like this: universal preschool, a cap on childcare costs, four weeks of federal paid parental leave, expanded child tax credits, expanded Obama Care subsidies, increased Medicare hearing benefits and $500 billion in global warming subsidies.

Doesn’t even scratch the surface. I randomly scrolled down the legislation and found such things as:

$175 million “to expand equitable outdoors access and promote tourism on non-Federal forested land for members of underserved groups.” That’s my emphasis. Who’s getting this boon?Billions for electricity storage projects “under such section, which shall be forgiven in whole or in part based on how the borrower and the project meets the terms and conditions for loan forgiveness consistent with the purposes of such section established by the Secretary, subject to the condition that the performance of any construction work completed with amounts provided under this section meet the condition described in section 9003(f) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 USC 8103(f)1.” What lobbyist wrote this?Something called “Retention and Completion Grants,” under which “the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that propose house a significant share of grant funds to, among students of color, low-income students, students with disabilities, students in need of remediation, first generation college students, student parents and other underserved student population in such eligible entity, improve enrollment, retention, transfer, or completion rates or labor market outcomes.” In other words, nothing for middle class white families.The usual millions to farmers for not growing crops.OSHA is empowered to increase fines 10 fold or more. For example, to $700,000 from $70,000. I need a lawyer to figure out what that and other fines cover.Sets new rules for “direct care workforce that provides home and community-based services.” Sounds to me like the feds will be setting wage and working conditions for home health care workers. Organized labor has been trying to organize these at-home workers for years; is this a backdoor? These more, but I don’t understand it. Something about -Adjustment Models for HCBS Composite Measures Ask your Democratic representative who these “individuals” are. After all, he or she voted for it: ‘‘(3) TREATMENT FOR CERTAIN INDVIDUALS [sic].— Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i)(III), and section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i)(IV), the term ‘newly eligible’ in paragraph (2)(A) and the phrase ‘newly eligible indi- viduals described in subclause (VIII) of section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i)’ in paragraph (1) shall apply to individuals who but for the amendments made by section 30721(a) of the Act titled ‘An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14’ would be eligible under the State plan (or waiv- er) for medical assistance under section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i)(VIII) for the period beginning on the first day occurring after the end of such 60-day period and ending on the last day of the month in which the 12-month period (beginning on the last day of the pregnancy) ends.’’They haven’t forgotten anyone for when the Covid pandemic ends, if ever: Here’s how: “Subject to paragraph (2), if, between October 1, 2022 and December 31, 2025, a State puts into effect for any calendar qua ter occurring during such period eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures for individuals (except individuals described in subparagraph (D) section 1902(e)(14)) who are applying for or receiving….”

Something for everyone, especially the special interests.

I give up. I’ve skimmed hardly half-way through the bill, throwing darts at what to quote, and I’m defeated. So, I’ll turn to National Review to give us some more highlights:

$9 billion to higher-learning institutions for “qualified environmental justice programs” to make sure that universities perpetuate the Left’s green agenda.$7 billion more to create new climate-justice warriors in places like Americorps and other service groups for projects related to “climate resilience and mitigation,” and another $450 million for nontraditional climate apprenticeship programs.$3 billion in “climate justice block grants” that go into projects in disadvantaged communities. The criterion for grants is based not on efficacy but on the race of the projects’ sponsors.$85 million for studying the risks of climate change for “pregnant, lactating or post-partum individuals.” It is unclear exactly what dangers pregnant individuals are now facing from climate change that could not be remediated with more air-conditioning.$3.5 billion for ports to purchase “zero-emission” equipment, but no money to actually fix broken supply chains in which ports are a bottleneck.$275 million to upgrade the health-care system in one state — Hawaii. Hawaii also gets $5 million to save endangered plants there.$200 million to preserve Native American languages. Note: There is nothing in the bill to further the study of English as a second language.$350 million to “rebuild” the National Labor Relations Board and $321 million to “rebuild” the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, two federal agencies that lead Democratic attempts to bypass Congress by passing regulations that discourage hiring.$300 billion for restoration of the SALT tax deduction that benefits mostly wealthy residents of blue states.$38 billion in new energy taxes . . . because gasoline prices are not high enough.$50 million to train and certify more doulas. No comment.$5 million to save “desert fish.” I didn’t even know there were fish in the desert, but (after researching) I found that a Desert Fish Council actually exists.$150–$250 million (estimated) as tax credits to “local” news organizations, excluding government entities — except, of course, NPR and PBS (surprise!). Note: “Local” is broadly defined, and appears to include almost all news organizations, including the New York Times and Washington Post. The bill also contains a rich new deduction for trial lawyers, a group that is one of the Democratic Party’s most generous contributors.

Actually, there’s no need for any single person to understand every nock and cranny in which billions are hidden for some special interest. Uncounted numbers, however, will look into the bill to find out if his or her “program,” got funded and for how much.

Democrats say that Americans “overwhelmingly” favor this bill. Why shouldn’t they? All American probably could find something (as long as they are directed to the appropriate section) of benefit. For myself, it’s increased Medicare hearing benefits. Thanks, grandkids, for the largesse.

Not the end of the story.

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