A massive spending bill funds other countries and not Americans reeling from COVID-19 claimed a report posted last Monday.
"American taxpayers still reeling from coronavirus lockdowns will be shelling out billions to foreign countries if Congress passes a $2.3 trillion spending bill unveiled Monday," Breitbart said in its report pertaining to a 5,593 page bill that Congress voted on Monday.
The said bill, Breitbart purported, will allow billions in funding to foreign aid to gender programs in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, among others.
Breibart said that the following countries will experience Christmas earlier because of the hundreds of millions in American aid to be given them: Vietnam, Afghanistan Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Curacao, and Trinidad and Tobago, and Ukraine.
The particular purpose for which these aid are to be given include "democracy programs," "counternarcotics and human rights," "to remediate dioxins," "support for not-for-profit institutions," to support refugees, "gender programs," "migration of minors to the United States," "for communities" impacted by Venezuelan refugees, for general assistance, and "for the refurbishing of a high endurance cutter" or patrol boat.
The highest recipient of the foreign aid worth $461,375,000 is Colombia for counternarcotics and human rights programs found in pages 1494-1496 of the "$2.3 trillion spending bill" according to BreitBart.
While the next big funded for $505,925,000 is actually a consolidated amount to be divided by Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama that will be used to "address key factors that contribute to the migration of unaccompanied, undocumented minors to the United States." Breitbart cited this from pages 1490-1491 of the said massive bill.
Breitbart highlighted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced only Monday that a "vote would be held" for the "budget busting bill" in the 116th Congress. Pelosi actually tweeted afterwards that she was pleased with their accomplishment for the people in the closing of the 116th Congress.
"Pleased that we were able to get so much done #ForThePeople in the closing days of the 116th Congress, including the emergency COVID relief package," she said as a video showing her signing numerous bills accompanied her tweet.
CBS News, on the other hand, reported that the 5,593-page package actually included coronavirus aid to those who badly need of it.
"Both chambers of Congress on Monday night passed a $900 billion relief measure designed to provide long-awaited assistance to Americans, small businesses and industries ailing from the coronavirus pandemic. The $900 billion package is paired with a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill that funds the federal government through September," CBS News said.
The COVID-19 package would allow $600 per American sent via direct deposits, which are "half as generous as the $1,200 payments distributed under the CARES Act in the spring" and which will be received in full by "Americans who made less than $75,000 in 2019" aside from parents who will get it per dependent child, CBS News said.
The said aid will be coursed through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, more commonly known as the CARES Act.
In addition to the $600 aid, CBS News reported that a weekly $300 for the unemployed, and $284 billion in loans for buinesses will also be given. In addition, there is a $30 billion fund allocated for coronavirus vaccines' distribution.
The massive bill has been voted on by the Congress and forwarded to President Donald Trump for approval and signature, CBS News announced.
The President, however, demanded Congress to amend the bill to increase the amount to be given to American citizens - from a mere $600 to $2,000, even $4,000 for a couple, Breitbart reported.
President Trump didn't say if he will veto the bill Congress forwarded to him, but did criticize the bill for the amount it will give to Americans. He emphasized that while the bill only gives $600 to Americans, it will give up to $1,800 to family members of illegal aliens.
"This is far more than the Americans are given," he said.
Furthermore, President Trump blasted Congress for passing a bill that's named "COVID relief bill," but doesn't really do much for Americans who are affected by the pandemic.
"It's called the COVID relief bill, but it has almost nothing to do with COVID," he said.
