U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today voted against a massive $1.9 trillion package filled to the brim with wasteful, non-COVID-19 related spending.
“I voted against wasting over $1 trillion of taxpayer money on liberal wish list priorities for President Biden, Schumer and Pelosi disguised as COVID relief. Shoveling all this money into an economy that is on the rebound is deeply irresponsible and will cause our debt to soar to new heights. Its partisanship is exceeded only by its recklessness. Montana taxpayers deserve better,” Daines said.
While only 9% of the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion package actually went to combatting the core health needs of the pandemic, it did include billions of dollars in wasteful, non-COVID related spending such as:
- $350 billion to bail out states that had financial problems before the pandemic
- Nearly $130 billion for schools, even though 95% of the funds will not be spent this year
- $86 billion bailout for union pensions
- Billions to expand Obamacare, subsidize it for wealthier Americans and provide billions to health insurance companies
- $270 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities
- $175 million for boondoggle transportation projects in mostly blue states
- $50 million for “Environmental Justice”
Daines voted to save Montana taxpayers over $1.3 trillion while supporting a targeted relief package to help Montanans who need it most. The targeted relief package would:
- Provide nearly $160 billion to support vaccine distribution, expand testing, PPE, and to rebuild and restock the National Strategic Stockpile.
- Provide $19 billion to reopen K-12 schools and to keep them open. Funding will be available to school districts that provide in-person instruction to at least half of their students at least half of the time. Funding will also be available for activities that support the safe reopening of schools.
- Provide $30 billion to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund, and $5 billion for PPE for first responders and health care providers, including small physician and dental practices.
- Extend federal unemployment programs through June. Provides $2 billion to detect and prevent fraud, provide more equitable access, and ensure timely payment of programs.
Provide $40 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program and $10 billion for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.