Obviously these people need some education on the subject. For the last few years we have had an explosion in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), causing the U.S. to lose more than a third of its honeybee population. We need honeybees to pollinate 1/3rd of our crops, such as fruit, nuts, soybeans, vegetables, cotton, etc. etc. So, no honeybees means no pollination means no crops means a threat to our food supply. This is simple enough to understand if the Republican Senators who are threatening this provision would bother to Google some information about it. This has been on the news for at least the last couple of years, even. Does anybody on that side of the aisle have a clue? Anybody at all???
Scientists still do not understand why we have such a huge die-off in honeybees, however, their research suggests that the use of genetically modified crops and/or chemicals and insecticides that have been banned in Europe but not here (another duh) may be to blame. This kind of thing makes me even more determined to grow some of my own food and buy as much organic as possible. We've been messing with nature way too much, and it is coming back to bite us on the butt.
Fortunately, it looks like due to changes in the way beekeepers manage their hives colonies have lost fewer bees in recent months than in the previous few years. However, it's too soon to know what caused the die-off, whether the crisis is over or if it won't happen again.
I would encourage you to e-mail or call Republicans you see on the news who are disparaging the honeybee provision in the stimulus plan. While you couldn't directly call this a "stimulus," and while there are some provisions in that plan that should be removed (and some already are), the honeybees need help regardless of what bill it goes in.