The 5 Weirdest Things Congress Shoved into the COVID-19 Stimulus Bill – By Elura Nanos (Law and Crime) / Dec 22 2020
Congress passed the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021’’ $900+ billion stimulus package on Monday. The new law will mean financial assistance for individuals, families, and businesses, and is meant to target some of the disastrous financial effects of the pandemic.
It’s got some help for families struggling financially as a result of the pandemic. For example, it’s giving $600 per person plus $600 per child. Suffice it to say, though, the bill was not exactly narrowly-tailored to assisting families get through the pandemic. Here are five weird results of American taxpayer dollars at work.
1. Tax deductions for “Three-martini lunches.”
Until now, businesses have only been able to deduct 50-percent of meal expenses on their federal tax returns. Under this change, for which President Donald Trump advocated as a way to help business, business meals will be deductible from soup to nuts. The bill awaits Trump’s signature.
While some are celebrating the move, others seem less than convinced.
Me: [blowing my $600 stimulus check on a really nice three-martini lunch]
— Santa Claus, CEO (@SantaInc) December 21, 2020
