The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author; view more opinion on CNN. The late Illinois Sen. Everett Dirksen famously quipped, "A billion here, a billion there, and soon enough you're talking real money." The new round of Covid-19 relief is estimated to cost around $900 billion. We don't really know the bottom line, as there has not yet been a budget "score" by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Congressional leaders have not sought or welcomed an open national deliberation about best uses of the stimulus funds.

Source: The Nation December 22, 2020 19:52 UTC