If limits exist that constrain politicians and the legislation they can enact in the name of crisis, rescue or stimulus, it is unclear what they are. Coming atop 2020’s roughly $4 trillion in rescue, a weekend Senate party-line vote has routed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, H.R. But nothing in the new American Rescue Plan nor the earlier Families First Coronavirus Response Act, CARES Act or (proposed) HEROES Act reflect lessons learned, establish resilience, and assure a non-repeat of crisis-response excesses. An Abuse-of-Crisis Prevention Act, and even a constitutional amendment to reaffirm basic principles of the “silken bands of mild government,” are overdue. Therefore a constitutional amendment fencing politicians is likely necessary in addition to a “mere” Abuse-of-Crisis Prevention Act.

Source: Forbes March 08, 2021 18:45 UTC