In this episode we examine the historical use of the “Nuclear Option” by our House Of Representatives and our Senate to take care of Urgent or Emergency problems without excessive delay. These show notes link you to the fuller stories of how the legislature has taken care of extraordinary situations—such as the pandemic of 2020. In this emergency many businesses and organizations had to drastically alter their operations either by allowing their employees to work from home or closing down their operations—this was particularly harmed on the restaurant and bar segment of our economy. Also many service sector businesses were forced to go through major difficulties. The unemployment level rose from about 4% (which was a 50 year low rate) to over 10%—and that doesn’t really include all the unemployed and under-employed people. Companies like airlines were not able to operate on a normal schedule and were threatened with bankruptcy. Also millions of people who rent their living space were not able to pay their rent. Millions of people paying for a home mortgage loan were also left up in the air. The first signs of this problem led both parties to come up with a major $2.2 trillion economic stimulus program called the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act passed by the 116th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020, in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The CARES Act was designed to help the American people and our businesses to cope with the fallout of the crisis. Everyone knew that there would need to be another relief bill we just didn’t know when and how much would be needed. The Republicans made sure to help businesses very generously as well as the top 5% of society. The Republicans started questioning a second Bill about the same time that congressional Democrats started to pass a second relief bill—only they also wanted to help state and local governments who had many unreimbursed expenses during the pandemic. Ted Cruz, for example, said that many restaurant workers would rather take money from the government rather than go back to work—https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/07/27/sen-ted-cruz-significant-resistance-from-republicans-against-their-own-partys-coronavirus-stimulus-package/?sh=1415ae1d6c9c.

But as of today (February 4, 2021) the story of corona virus relief is still not over. The second relief bill is still being negotiated and the Republicans and Democrats are still going through much drama. A relief package is waiting for the Democrats to act on the pandemic crisis and millions of people especially to lower half of our people are quietly waiting for more help. Again, this is the reason that I hope many of you non-voters will become interested in our history, current events, and in your power to swing the balance in the favor of progress by coming back and becoming active voting citizens again. We the people can change the course of history if we only vote based on an in-depth knowledge of the facts.