Kustoff Votes Against Democrat’s Wasteful COVID-19 Bill

WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) voted against Speaker Pelosi's partisan $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package. This package includes a federally mandated $15/hour minimum wage, eliminates Hyde protections to prevent taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions, and includes numerous Democrat spending priorities that have no place in this relief plan (see below). Importantly, $1 trillion of previously designated COVID-19 funds have yet to be spent.

"Delivering relief to families and businesses during this pandemic should be a bipartisan issue and up until now, it has been. Unfortunately, less than 9% of the $1.9 trillion in this bill goes to actually combatting COVID-19. We must prioritize safely reopening schools and the economy, speed up vaccine distribution, and efficiently spend the remaining $1 trillion from previous COVID-19 packages," said Rep. Kustoff. "This bill is neither timely nor targeted and that is why I voted against this costly and partisan legislation."

Non-COVID related provisions in this bill:

• A $15 minimum wage mandate, which would eliminate 1.4 million jobs according to an estimate by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
• Provides a $350 billion bailout for state and local governments.
• Approximately $130 billion to schools without the guarantee that they will invest it in ways to ensure schools reopen safely.
• Allows Planned Parenthood to receive small business funding and requires taxpayers to subsidize health insurance plans that could cover elective abortions.
• $1.5 billion in funding to Amtrak, which currently has around $1 billion in unspent aid.
• $112 million for Speaker Nancy Pelosi's underground subway to Silicon Valley, California
• $1.5 million for Sen. Chuck Schumer's bridge to Canada