Fort Worth Republicans all oppose COVID relief package, saying there’s no need

Republican Fort Worth area House representatives, saying there was little need for President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan, voted against the package Wednesday.

Reps. Kay Granger, Michael Burgess, Beth Van Duyne and Roger Williams questioned the need for more relief spending as the country reopens.

In a 220 to 211 vote, the House passed the bill, which now goes to the White House. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure later this week. All 211 votes were from Democrats. Opposed were 210 Republicans and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine.

The bill gives $1,400 to those with adjusted gross incomes of less than $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. It also adds $300 to unemployment benefits through Sept. 6.

The Fort Worth area Republican House members all cited the fact that less than 9% of the stimulus package funds activities meant to directly combat COVID, such as vaccinations and testing. The percentage is correct, according to PolitiFact.

“Expert analysis shows a small percentage of the spending is directed at combating the virus through vaccines, protective equipment or resources for health care providers,” the nonpartisan analysis found.

But, it added, “that doesn’t mean the rest of the bill isn’t related to COVID-19. A significant percentage of the bill aims to address the financial fallout caused by the pandemic.”

Republicans said the bill is especially too large since money from the last two COVID relief bills has not been spent.

“The problem with the bill is we’re spending too much money,” Williams said on WBAP-AM on Tuesday. “We already have 1.3 trillion in the hopper leftover from the CARES Act we haven’t spent.”

Congress approved the CARES Act last year.

Williams cited figures found in February from covidmoneytracker.org, an by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

“Subtracting the amounts allowed from the amount committed or disbursed yields a figure of $1.3 trillion — but that does not mean that $1.3 trillion is sitting in budget accounts waiting to be allocated,” the group said in a statement. “Much of it is already allocated or scheduled to be spent, and a small portion will never be spent.”

Specifically, Republican representatives mention unnecessary spending in the bill for education, especially since schools have been told by the Centers for Disease Control that they can safely open.

According to a report sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee from the Education Department in February, only $5 billion of the $68 billion provided in the past two relief bills has been spent.

“Why are Democrats providing $125 billion to schools even if they remain closed?” Burgess said on the House floor Tuesday. “Teachers want to teach. Teachers want to be safely in their classrooms teaching. The Centers for Disease Control has confirmed that with appropriate safety precautions, the risk of coronavirus transmission in the schools is minimal. Why are we paying schools to keep them home?”

Further, education spending in the bill is expected to be spent through 2028, according to a CBO report.

“It is unacceptable that 95% of the funds allocated towards schools in this bill will not see a classroom until 2022 and beyond, and that $1 trillion of funds from previous relief bills still remain unspent,” Van Duyne said about the bill last month.

Democrat House Rep. Marc Veasey voted for the bill.

“In places like my home state of Texas where the governor prematurely lifted COVID restrictions, the best thing we can do to make sure that everybody has a vaccine,” Veasey said on the House floor Tuesday.

Texas is open at 100% and no longer as a mask mandate after Gov. Greg Abbott’s order last week.