Rouzer on COVID-19 Relief Bill
Press Release
I have observed over the course of my life that most of us make our decisions based on the best information we have at the time that we have it. As a member of Congress, I try -- through these newsletters and in other forums -- to share the facts to the best of my ability and provide my own perspective. With every passing day, it seems as though there is more and more misinformation on all levels. Many times it is an innocent misunderstanding of the facts or lack of the full context; sometimes I find it to be intentional.
A key part of the reporting on this COVID package that I've NOT seen stated by anyone: Secretary Mnuchin negotiated this COVID relief package with Speaker Pelosi and the Senate. The Secretary, on a conference call early this week, expressed the Administration's strong support for this package, including the $600 stimulus payment, and asked us -- the Republican House Conference -- to vote for it. Most of us did. The $600 stimulus payment per person and dependent child has been on the table for months -- well known to everyone in Washington.
There has been much talk about foreign aid. Here is the link to exactly what that is. Read for yourself and come to your own conclusion. Foreign aid for Israel, Egypt and other allies is routinely included in the appropriations bill every year. It has nothing to do with the COVID relief package even though Pelosi tied the two bills together. These annually funded programs are included in the President's budget he submitted to Congress earlier this year. Believe it or not, his budget asked for the funding for the Kennedy Center. That funding for gender education in Pakistan? Turns out it is to educate women and children -- a major initiative of this Administration included in the Administration's budget request and I would argue a very noble endeavor. We know that the more educated women and children are in these dictatorial countries, the more likely a change to a more democratic society can be achieved.
Now let's put the dollar figures in perspective. The top line spending number for foreign operations and at the Department of State for foreign aid is about $56 billion total -- about 1% of the total federal budget. For certain, there is waste in every category of spending, and I hear the calls to take away all the foreign aid money. What may not be obvious is the money going to help defend Israel and our other allies would convert to very little in the way of stimulus support. It goes a lot further where it is being spent -- providing stability and support in dangerous parts of the world. Added to the stimulus payment, it might be enough for shipping a Christmas gift -- if that. The $600 stimulus payment costs the Treasury $166 billion because of the hundreds of millions of people receiving it. A $2,000 payment would cost the Treasury about $553 billion. (By the way, that is just short, relatively speaking, of the amount appropriated to fund the entire armed forces.)
Here's a little more on the process. There are number of reasons why it ends up this way every year, but that would take entirely too long to explain. It's a subject for another time. But to sum it up, each year Congress passes 12 appropriations bills that often get rolled up into two packages. Sometimes all twelve are rolled up into one package. This year House Democrat leaders split up the legislation into two parts: the first one contained funding for our military, homeland security, and law enforcement personnel. Failure to pass this package before funding expires early next week would mean that these personnel and their families would be without pay -- something that would be unacceptable, particularly during the holidays. (Funding expires for all discretionary programs this coming Monday, December 28.)
The other bill included funding for the rest of the federal government, such as foreign aid, the COVID-19 stimulus package, and other legislation congressional leaders hope to enact before the end of the year. The COVID-related provisions in the bill are badly needed. The PPP program is replenished so that restaurants and other small businesses can take another round of funding. And PPP payments will no longer be taxed, which has been a major concern of so many small businesses that have reached out to my office. All PPP loans of $150,000 or less would be automatically forgiven.
The $13 billion in agricultural relief is an absolute necessity, including the money for contract growers who lost their contracts because of the supply disruptions caused by the pandemic. There are many other great provisions that could be lost if this package is vetoed and a re-write is forced. And I can assure you, it will end up costing the taxpayers much more and nowhere near the number of wins this Administration achieved in this package. (Here is a more extensive and detailed summary of the COVID relief provisions for your review.) This one was hard enough even with the Christmas holiday acting as a force-multiplier. Send this into next year and it may be months before anything happens. On top of that, it is my guess that it is unlikely the Democrats agree to another Continuing Resolution on Monday, which means the government will shut down. They now have the perfect excuse to blame the shutdown on Trump and Republicans with the liberal media going right along. This will not do anything but spook the markets and put the two Senate seats in Georgia in even more jeopardy.
Ultimately, while imperfect, I supported both portions of the package for all the reasons cited above, but also because Secretary Mnuchin asked us to support it. Whether he went rogue on the President, I will likely never know. But I do know this: We all took him at his word with the understanding that he was speaking for the President.
If my memory serves me correctly, I have voted against every omnibus package except for the one in 2015. That's the package where we lifted the oil export ban, which had been on the conservative agenda for 40 years. It was a game changer for America and big part of the reason why we now have peace deals in the Middle East. Furthermore, it was the first downpayment on rebuilding our great military. I was criticized for that vote, but in hindsight it was probably the best vote I ever cast.
We will see what hindsight says about this one.
May you and yours have a wonderful Christmas!
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