Prior to House Democrats passing their massive $1.9 trillion stimulus package early Saturday, Republican Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.) introduced an amendment increasing the stimulus check amount to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for married couples.
The proposed amendment was meant to highlight the wasteful spending on items completely unrelated to coronavirus-related relief.
What happened?
Gosar’s amendment proposed eliminating 10 sections from the legislation that used taxpayer money to fund items unrelated to COVID relief.
Specifically, Gosar sought to eliminate spending for:
- Farm loan assistance for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers
- National Endowment for the Arts
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
- So-called “Vaccine confidence activities”
- “Global health” initiatives
- Family planning
- Capital investment grants
- National Railroad Passenger Corporation grants
- Special financial assistance program for financially troubled multi-employer plans
The billions of dollars saved by eliminating funding for such non-COVID related items should be given back to struggling Americans in the form of increased stimulus checks, Gosar said.
In fact, Gosar explained on Twitter that “only 9% of Pelosi’s $1.9 trillion ‘plan’ is related to COVID-19.”
“I offered an amendment to prioritize $10,000 stimulus checks to Americans most affected by COVID-19 and lockdowns,” the Arizona Republican said.
“Instead, Democrats chose foreign aid, Big Tech transit, and Pelosi’s political priorities over direct relief to American citizens,” he added.
“Governement (sic) ordered the shutdown and broke the back of the economy. Break it, buy it,” Gosar said. “Americans need help with car payments, mortgage, rent, and everyday necessities. The people, not government, corporations, or billionaires, need this help.”
Only 9% of Pelosi’s $1.9 trillion “plan” is related to COVID-19.
I offered an amendment providing $10k stimulus to… https://t.co/KQBLLT4G86
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS)1614465001.0
Did the amendment pass?
The amendment was rejected by Democrats, who ultimately passed their stimulus bill.
The $1.9 trillion legislation includes the controversial federal minimum wage hike, which the Senate parliamentarian has already ruled cannot be included in the Senate version of the bill if it should be passed in the upper chamber through the budget reconciliation process.
Two Democrats ultimately crossed party lines and voted against the bill: Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Kurt Schrader (Ore.).
Golden later explained that he voted against the bill because of the wasteful spending unrelated to COVID relief.
“This bill addresses urgent needs, and then buries them under a mountain of unnecessary or untimely spending,” Golden said. “In reviewing the bill in its full scope, less than 20 percent of the total spending addresses core COVID challenges that are immediately pressing: funding for vaccine distribution and testing, and emergency federal unemployment programs.”
But, by eliminating the non-viris funding it will cut
contributions to democrat candidates campains.
This amendment should have been passed. The funds for the national endowment for the arts and humanities is like flushing money down the toilet. They normally are funded during the budget process. These funds will support elitists who are convinced they are superior to the rest of us. The GAO should take a serious look at this deviant way of financially supporting leftist Democrats. The whole thing smells “stinks” of the boondoggle. Rep Goser has an amazing insight on what complete fiscal irresponsibility is.
Harry that is one thing Pelose has not thought about . She will loose if she doesn’t get off her high horse and she can be gotten rid of sooner if her Democrats stand up to her. Rep Goser is one who has a very good chance to get rid of her . Her democrats are already going over to the other side in case she has not taken a good look . They dis agree with her Pork Fat!!!!
Pelosi, let’s not conduct business as usual and help the people who are desperate for that help. Just think, if the democrats passed a covid bill only, how many Americans would get on board with Pelosi and her party.
NINE percent is directly related to combating the virus and its effects. For us plain old ordinary people that means that NINETY ONE percent is plain old pork – or to be more accurate – payoffs to ‘princess’ buddies and enablers. And of course her under the table cut plus the ‘contribution’ to the ‘big guy’. But hey, 9it is ‘only’ gummint money, it isn’t like it is coming out of the tax payers pockets – oh wait.
Let everyone who voted for Democrats at any level remember this bill, read it in it’s entirety as well as many of the nonsense bills that will be flowing at Capital complex over next 24 months before voting in the mid-terms.
We need these people out of Washington! Every one of those who’ve been in office more than 2 terms and is a millionaire became a millionaire while working in elected office making 100-200k per year and still taking vacations and traveling on your dime. BTW how do you become a millionaire in 10-20 years while having to cover house in home state and a residence in DC, along with all the normal bills the rest of us must pay? If you saved every penny of your congressional salary and got the interest from bank you would just barely be at 1-2 mill. It would take some awful crafty investing most of us have no access to to run post tax remaining cash after housing, clothes, food, travel etc. Just asking
This has been the ‘politics as usual’ procedure for a very long time, on both side of the aisle. The ‘pork’ is due to the I’ll ok your bill, if you’ll ok mine. It’s horse trading at it very best. The worst thing is with the technology today. Americans can see the disgusting way politics works, instead of how, it should work.
Considering its basically a rewritten version of the Bill Pelosi pushed last year, which had ZERO money for Covid Relief, it comes as ZERO surprise its 99% PORK.
This is where our media really drops the ball. If they actually reported that only 9% of the 1.9 trillion was going directly to Covid relief, the overwhelming majority of Americans both democrat and republican would be furious. Or the fact that fed employees are getting $1400 a week for 15 wks….$21,000. Their pay grade and benefits already far exceed that of many Americans.
Hello doesn’t it madder to balance budget, HERE, STOP THE WASTE, the AMERICAN 🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸 Needs this NOW. Do NOT give it to the non-American People. BALANCE The Budget. Balance the Budget. Thank you
91% covid 9% pork would be better or 100% for covid
yes Glen, I think that would be better. The senate needs to trim off all the pork and help just the people who need the stimulus and unemployment, take care that it is for the Covid and only for Americans not Illegals. Illegal is just that Not Legal so send them back to their home countries and if that country needs vaccines then help them after our true Americans get what they need and then the bill would be much lower without all the Pork crap. That one day will come back to haunt the Tax Payers. Freedom is not Free.