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Eight noteworthy measures packed into massive COVID-19 relief and omnibus bill

Emily Brooks, Political Reporter

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12-21-20

The massive $2.5 trillion coronavirus relief and omnibus bill package includes a wide swath of measures beyond normal government spending and matters relating to the pandemic, including authorizations for new museums, creation of a national park, tax tweaks, vaping regulation, and foreign policy changes.

House lawmakers are set to vote Monday on the 5,593-page bill just hours after the bill's text became public.

In what has become a typical practice for Congress close to the end of a session, the legislation is a massive compilation of various policy measures packaged together into one bill.

Tacking measures onto critical spending and aid legislation close to a deadline is often how many measures, such as bills that were previously passed by the House but never received a vote in the Senate, get pushed through a sharply divided Congress — a process that peeved some lawmakers.

Measures include:

1. Two new Smithsonian museums

The bill would authorize creation of two new Smithsonian museums: the American Women's History Museum and National Museum of the American Latino.

Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee earlier this month blocked the creation of the museums, arguing that they should be instead folded into existing museums.

2. West Virginia gets a national park

Queue up "Country Roads." West Virginia's New River Gorge, located in the southern part of the state, will become a national park if the legislation passes.

“The New River Gorge is truly one of West Virginia's most treasured playgrounds and largest tourist attractions because of its whitewater rafting, hunting, fishing, outdoor sports and natural beauty," Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from the state, said in a statement on Monday.

3. Tibet human rights measures

It's not every day that policy over the "succession or reincarnation of the Dalai Lama" is encoded into law.

A Tibetan human rights bill that the House passed earlier this year, the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, is included in the bill. The policy would oppose any move by China to select the Dalai Lama's successor, aiming to respect the traditions of Tibetan Buddhist leaders.

4. 'Biggest action ever taken' on climate change

The package includes the Energy Act of 2020, which Marty Durbin, senior vice president of policy at the Chamber of Commerce, called the “ biggest action Congress has ever taken to address climate change.”

That includes $35 billion on provisions to research, develop, and commercialize a range of technologies; a measure to phase down hydrofluorocarbons; and funding for the demonstration of carbon capture projects. The Washington Examiner first reported the details of the package last week.

5. "Three-martini power lunch" tax deduction

The measure temporarily increases the amount that business can deduct from their federal taxes for work meals from 50% to 100% through the end of 2022.

“Republicans are nickel-and-diming benefits for jobless workers, while at the same time pushing for tax breaks for three-martini power lunches. It’s unconscionable,” Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden told the Washington Post.

Advocates say that the measure may help save the restaurant industry, with Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott calling it a “pro-worker, pro-restaurant, and pro-small-business bill [that] will lead to increased spending in restaurants and more income for staff.”

6. Internet copyright law

The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act, also known as the CASE Act, would create a new way for copyright holders to file claims of up to $30,000 by establishing a Copyright Claims Board. Traditional creators, such as songwriters and photographers, have butted heads over the bill with advocates for social media creators over the legislation.

7. Belarus foreign policy

The bill includes the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act, which was passed by the House earlier this year. Advocates of the measures say that the bill will help work against Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, by expanding the scope of who can be subjected to sanctions and providing support to independent media.

8. Banning use of the Postal Service for mailing vaping products

The Preventing Online 9 Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act will ban the use of the United States Postal Service for mailing electronic vaping products like Juul.

SEE VIDEO

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/eight-measures-packed-massive-covid-19-relief-omnibus-bill