Rep. Obernolte votes “NO” on costly $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, calls on Congress to focus on reopening schools and businesses instead | Representative Jay Obernolte
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Rep. Obernolte votes “NO” on costly $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, calls on Congress to focus on reopening schools and businesses instead

March 10, 2021

U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) voted No today on the partisan $1.9 trillion stimulus bill proposed by the administration. Even after significant changes were made to cut pork barrel projects and minimum wage hikes from the bill in the U.S. Senate, only 9 percent of money allocated in the package goes towards public health spending to fight the coronavirus pandemic, while the remaining 91 percent is appropriated for relief and stimulus at a rate that puts the economy in serious danger of overheating.

Additionally, nearly $1 trillion, or one in every four dollars appropriated for COVID-19 relief in 2020, remains unspent. Rep. Obernolte coauthored a resolution to identify these funds as the fastest way to deliver aid to the families and businesses who need it.

“This bill saw bipartisan opposition in the House, and I think it is clear why: Congress should be focused on delivering the $1 trillion in still unspent 2020 coronavirus aid to immediately reopen our schools, speed up vaccinations and support struggling families and businesses, not on pork barrel spending that will drive up our national debt without solving the immediate needs before us,” said Rep. Obernolte.

The $1.9 trillion stimulus is one of the largest spending packages ever enacted by Congress. While the bill includes $125 billion for K-12 schools, only 5 percent of that money would be spent in fiscal year 2021. Additionally, the bill borrows money from foreign governments like China to allocate $510 billion to state and local governments without accounting for whether individual states need financial support. California is set to receive $61.5 billion despite having a $15 billion budget surplus.

The bill also disadvantages rural counties like those in California’s 8th District, which will rely on unfavorable formulas and state governments to appropriate the majority of the funds. According to a report from the California State Auditor, small counties like Mono and Inyo have received far fewer federal COVID-19 dollars per capita than larger counties in California, despite USDA reporting that non-metro areas have exceeded metro areas in the prevalence of cumulative COVID-19 cases per capita. Rep. Obernolte authored a motion to strike provisions in the bill that disadvantage rural Americans living near the poverty line, but it was voted down along party lines in the House Budget Committee.

For more on Rep. Obernolte’s opposition to the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, read his Tuesday morning op-ed in the Victorville Daily Press here. You can also watch Rep. Obernolte’s video to constituents on the bill below:

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE