Harris Votes “No” on Pelosi Payoff to Progressives Bill

WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., today voted against final passage of H.R. 1319 the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The $1.9 trillion spending bill, of which only around 9% is directly attributable to combatting the public health crisis, and while significant funding from the last COVID-relief bill remains unspent, would among other provisions:

• Provide approximately $130 billion to schools without any requirement they provide in-person instruction
• Create a federal employee $400 million emergency leave fund, which would afford up to 15 weeks of paid leave only to federal employees
• Provide $350 billion to bailout mostly poorly-managed blue states, and restrict the ability of states accepting the funding to employ tax cuts or credits, despite the fact that most states did not experience significant revenue loss from COVID, and some even experienced increased tax revenues
• Strip longstanding Hyde Amendment protections, which would thereby authorize the spending of taxpayer money for abortion
• Authorize illegal immigrants and prisoners to claim certain benefits
• Provide over $400 billion in additional direct stimulus payments to citizens, a majority of whom have experienced little or no financial loss during the pandemic

Congressman Harris issued the following statement:

"One of the most morally bankrupt things this country can do is borrow money from our future generations, that are already under unprecedented debt, to pay for a liberal wishlist that's just payback to political supporters. But that's exactly what the Democrat-controlled House and Senate did this week. The President should follow the advice of former Obama economic adviser Larry Summers and refuse to sign this bill that spends way too much."