'Timmy's Stimmy'

When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris first came into office, their first major piece of legislation was the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. Republicans attempted to negotiate a smaller bill, approximately 25 percent of the Democrat’s proposal. They argued that Congress had just passed a $900 billion stimulus and a $1.4 trillion omnibus package only a month before Biden was inaugurated. Additionally, they pointed out that a COVID-19 vaccine was already being distributed and that the pandemic was winding down. They also contended that adding $1.9 trillion to the trillions already spent in 2020 could lead to inflation. However, their arguments were largely ignored. With Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress, there was little need to consider Republican concerns. The American Rescue Plan passed without a single Republican vote in either the House or the Senate, with Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. How did this bill kickstart inflation? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #239.