Topic: Federal Fines

The GOP staged a protest against the $3.5 trillion spending bill by displaying a massive stack of 2,500 pages with a red price tag. The legislation reportedly contains provisions for $700,000 fines for companies with unvaccinated employees. Critics argue that neither the President nor Congressional leaders have actually read the thousands of pages they are attempting to pass.

A proposal is made to fund the $6 billion extension of unemployment benefits using the $20 billion in fines collected from JP Morgan for its role in the 2008 financial crisis. Instead, these fines typically flow into the Treasury for general spending. Meanwhile, the appointment of Stanley Fisher and Janet Yellen to the Federal Reserve suggests a continuation of "easy money" policies and quantitative easing to prop up the banking system.

Wachovia Bank reached a settlement regarding the laundering of nearly $400 billion in drug money from Mexican and Colombian cartels. Critics argue the resulting fines were insufficient and suggest that illicit drug capital has played a significant role in maintaining global banking liquidity during the financial crisis.