The  bill creates a commission tasked with educating “consumers about the dangers associated with using or storing portable fuel containers for flammable liquids near an open flame.”

Representative Thomas Massie reports that $10 million is designated for gender programs in Pakistan.

The bill mandates new hiring measures to ensure diversity in the intelligence community.

The bill decriminalizes unauthorized use of the Swiss Coat of Arms or Smokey the Bear

There’s $5 billion in military aid to Israel.

https://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2020/12/the-absolutely-crazy-details-of-covid.html

The COVID-19 stimulus bill agreed on Sunday by Republican and Democratic leadership is part of a larger 2021 government continuing resolution spending program. In total, it is a spending bill of $2.4 trillion.

The entire bill is 5,593 pages. 

Here is what the bill looks like:

Who the hell in Congress is going to read that?

What is worse is the House has a rule to give everyone 72 hours to read bills. Democrats in the House voted to suspend the rule for this package. That is each congressman will have around 8 hours to read the entire 5,593 pages before voting on the bill. 

The bill has 544 pages for coronavirus relief, 1,915 pages for appropriations, and 3,126 pages for extensions and corrections.

Even AOC understands the madness (UPDATE: But she voted for it):

Think about this. The COVID-19 stimulus part of the bill has a price tag of $900 billion but only $600 per person is going to individual Americans.

There are exceptions, but even if we assume every American gets $600 that is only $198 billion. Where is the other $702 billion going?

This bill is an early Christmas gift for global leaders who bow when the Empire says to bow, lobbyists, cronies and those who appreciate absurdity.

Here are some early outrages and absurdities spotted in the bill.

There’s $5 billion in military aid to Israel.

Here is aid other countries are getting for various projects:

Egypt = $1,300,000,000

Sudan = $700,000,000

Ukraine = $453,000,000

Israel = $500,000,000

Burma = $135,000,000

Nepal = $130,000,000

Cambodia = $85,500,000

There’s $1.4 billion for “Asia Reassurance Initiative Act”

The bill will establish a new Smithsonian  American Women’s History Museum and a Smithsonian  National Museum of the American Latino.

The  bill creates a commission tasked with educating “consumers about the dangers associated with using or storing portable fuel containers for flammable liquids near an open flame.”

Representative Thomas Massie reports that $10 million is designated for gender programs in Pakistan.

The bill mandates new hiring measures to ensure diversity in the intelligence community.

The bill decriminalizes unauthorized use of the Swiss Coat of Arms or Smokey the Bear

The bill spends five pages laying out the process for determining who will be recognized as the next reincarnation of the Dalia Lama.

The bill outlays funds to address gender inequality amongst statues.

The Covid relief bill stipulates funds can’t be used for accessing pornographic websites unless it’s “official business”

Here is the entire bill, please leave in the comments any outrages or absurdities you spot in the bill.

And this, from Don Boudreaux, sets the scene for the part of the COVID-19 package that isn’t crony:

Can Anyone Tell Me… 

… why we should take seriously politicians who think that concocting increases in nominal spending power will keep the economy secure in the face of (1) government lockdowns that forcibly prevent a great deal of production from taking place, and (2) government- and media-stirred popular derangement that further dampens actual productive activity?

We are “governed” – a more appropriate term is “lorded over” – by people who, if we judge them by their publicly spoken words, are imbeciles. And these imbeciles, sadly, are cheered on by most intellectuals (some of whom even boast advanced degrees in economics).I would simply add that “nominal spending power” is never a good idea, just bad Keynesian economics.
–RW
UPDATE
The House has passed the bill.
UPDATE 2
The Senate has passed the bill.
UPDATE 3
The bill passed in the Senate 92-6.
Voting “NO” were: BlackburnCruzJohnsonLeePaul Scott (FL)

Be seeing you