Providing for Consideration of H.R. American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, the payoff to progressives package before us today has little to do with the ongoing pandemic. This bill, which is the most expensive single bill in history, only allocates 9 percent of the $1.9 trillion price tag to actually defeating COVID.

So what are the Democrats spending the rest of the money on?

Corrupt pet projects, of course, and also payoffs to Progressive liberal special interest groups.

Just look at it: $100 million for a Silicon Valley rail project near Speaker Pelosi's district. Totally coincidentally, I am sure. Taxpayer funded healthcare subsidies for illegal immigrants. Fifty million dollars for Planned Parenthood. Hundreds of billions in bailouts to blue State Governors, who crush small businesses with their draconian lockdown measures. And a minimum wage mandate that, right off the bat, would kill 1.4 million American jobs. The list goes on and on.

But do you know what Democrats aren't putting in this bill?

They aren't reopening our schools. In fact, this bill spends 95 percent of the education funding after the school year.

Democrats also aren't reopening our economy with this bill. In fact, this bill spends $471 billion on policies that actually reduce employment.

And they aren't targeting relief to where it is actually needed. In fact, this bill gives checks to individuals who have not lost any income and gives taxpayer-funded healthcare to millionaires.

President Biden and congressional Democrats had a chance to make good on their empty promises to show unity and bipartisanship. They could have worked with Republicans on a targeted relief bill that sends money to where it actually needs to go and effectively spends $1 trillion in the remaining funds that have already been allocated. Instead, they are using this pandemic as pretext to force through a corrupt bill filled with Progressive payoffs.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 1319.

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