Staff Reports
The Biden administration is being criticized by six Republican senators for extending the deadline for states and municipalities to determine how to spend billions of dollars in remaining COVID relief funds. Senators Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, Mike Braun of Indiana, Rick Scott of Florida, and Roger Marshall of Kansas, all of whom are affiliated with the Republican Party, are not having it! They are threatening to sue the Treasury Department under the Congressional Review Act if it does not rescind this new regulation. Indeed, the temperature is rising in Washington.
Unspent CIVID money should be clawed back, it's not like we're not broke.
Senators demand rollback of Biden 'slush fund' rule on pandemic spending https://t.co/qEpttyuNi1
— Larry LaBate (@xmethuselahx) December 13, 2023
Senators contend that in light of the unprecedented escalation of the national debt, the government must exercise heightened prudence in its management of taxpayer funds. They are perplexed as to why the administration would continue COVID-19 programs after May 11, 2023, when the federal public health emergency for the pandemic ended. They are unreserved in their demand that the Treasury promptly revoke the rule; who could fault them? They are merely protecting the good old taxpayers!
At the center of this commotion is the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which is a component of the enormous $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that President Biden signed into law in 2021. The fact that states and local governments have only spent 56% of the program's total appropriation does not please the senators. They reject the Treasury's explanation that the deadline has not changed and accuse the department of employing contorted logic.
However, that is not all! In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election, an Economic Policy Innovation Center with a right-leaning stance has criticized the new rule, comparing it to a "slush fund" for communities established by Joe Biden. They are not holding back, highlighting expenditures on legal services for asylum seekers, lottery incentives for those who received the COVID-19 vaccine, and golf courses. It is horrifying! It appears that financial resources are being frivolously dispersed.
The senators of the Republican Party express their frustration with no qualms. Concerning the potential for waste in the pandemic program, they expressed grave apprehensions and accused the Treasury of disregarding the explicit legislation and misapplying public funds. The new definition of when and how communities ought to allocate their pandemic funding is not being accepted. They define "obligate" as expenditures due by a specific date or period. No space exists for future intentions! Senators are actively seeking answers and will not cease their pursuit until they obtain them. The Biden administration should be wary, because these Republicans are serious.
