U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski released the following statement after voting against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s $3 trillion bill that includes a federal bailout of fiscally irresponsible states, a tax cut for millionaires and billionaires, and other progressive priorities unrelated to coronavirus relief or economic recovery efforts:
“As American families, workers, farmers, and small business owners face the worst health and economic crisis in our lifetimes, Speaker Pelosi can only see political opportunity.
“This $3 trillion left-wing wish list has nothing to do with fighting coronavirus, providing relief to those who need it, or safely reopening our economy. Instead it provides a bailout for fiscally irresponsible states and a giveaway for millionaires and billionaires – and sticks hardworking Americans with the bill. It imposes one-size-fits-all mandates on small businesses and makes it harder for them to rehire, recover, and rebuild. And it does not include pro-life protections, opening the door to taxpayer-funded abortion and a Planned Parenthood bailout.
“Despite bipartisan opposition, Speaker Pelosi once again gave in to her radical base for a bill that has no chance of becoming law. It’s time for Congress to start focusing on what matters: protecting the health and safety of the American people, getting businesses and employees safely back to work, and holding China accountable.”
The bill is expected to go nowhere in the U.S. Senate.
BACKGROUND
H.R. 6800, which passed the House by a vote of 208 to 199, would:
- Provide taxpayer-funded bailouts of $915 billion for state and local governments and $25 billion bailout for the U.S. Postal Service;
- Give millionaires and billionaires in high-tax states a tax break by repealing the state and local tax deduction cap for two years;
- Remove pro-life protections from the Paycheck Protection Program and other funding, allowing for taxpayer-funded abortion;
- Allow illegal immigrants to receive direct payments by removing Social Security number verification;
- Impose one-size-fits-all OSHA and paid leave mandates on all businesses;
- Permanently disallow rulemaking pertaining to work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
- Extend unemployment insurance enhancements into 2021, including paying some workers more in unemployment benefits than they would earn returning to work; and
- Force a federal takeover of elections with strict regulations on states with regard to early voting, voter ID requirements, same-day registration, and vote-by-mail.
