DES MOINES – Iowa’s top Republican elected officials oppose the pandemic stimulus package that was passed Friday.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds opposed the bill, joining a statement with other Republicans governors, which claims, “Unlike all previous federal funding packages, the new stimulus proposal allocates aid based on a state’s unemployed population rather than its actual population, which punishes states that took a measured approach to the pandemic and entered the crisis with healthy state budgets and strong economies.
“A state’s ability to keep businesses open and people employed should not be a penalizing factor when distributing funds. If Congress is going to provide aid to states, it should be on an equitable population basis.”
Governors who joined the statement include Kay Ivey (R-AL), Mike Dunleavy (R-AK), Doug Ducey (R-AZ), Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Brian Kemp (R-GA), Brad Little (R-ID), Eric Holcomb (R-IN), Kim Reynolds (R-IA), Laura Kelly (D-KS), Tate Reeves (R-MS), Mike Parson (R-MO), Greg Gianforte (R-MT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Chris Sununu (R-NH), Doug Burgum (R-ND), Mike DeWine (R-OH), Kevin Stitt (R-OK), Henry McMaster (R-SC), Kristi Noem (R-SD), Bill Lee (R-TN), Spencer Cox (R-UT) and Mark Gordon (R-WY).
Also opposing the bill were U.S. Reps. from Iowa Ashley Hinson, Randy Feenstra, and Marianette Miller-Meeks; Democrat Cindy Axne of District 3 voted in favor.
The U.S. Senate will soon take up the bill if rules allow it and if it passes, President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law.
According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress, the American Rescue Plan would:
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Allocate $1.4 billion to the state of Iowa and $1.5 billion to the local government entities within it.
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Provide $816 million for schools in Iowa to safely reopen.
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Extend federal unemployment benefits through 2021. Currently 39,000 Iowans are at risk of losing unemployment benefits.
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Increase the child tax credit to $3,000 per child, provide an additional $600 per child under the age of 6, make it fully refundable, and extend the maximum qualifying age to 17 to assist the caretakers of the 220,000 eligible children in Iowa.
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Enhance financial assistance for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, increasing marketplace premium subsidies available to the 48,000 Iowans who already receive financial assistance—and expanding assistance to thousands more low-income and middle-class families.
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Extend the federal moratoria on evictions and foreclosures. 690,000 Iowans—30 percent of adults in the state—have fallen behind on basic household expenses. This would also extend aid to renters and small landlords and help secure housing for the 100,000 Iowans who are at risk of homelessness.
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Provide another round of direct checks. The first round of direct checks reached 3.3 million Iowans as of June 2020 and provided $5.8 billion in spending power to the state. Additional $1,400 checks would provide $2.2 billion to the poorest 60 percent of Iowans, a group whose average annual income is just $35,400.
Biden Shuns American Workers Again; Resumes Foreign Visa Program While 17 Million Americans Are Jobless
There are plenty of jobs. What do you want him to do? Personally find these people and force them into jobs? Read the bill. This is benefiting American workers and these Republicans oppose it because it is coming from a Democratic President. If trump would have done this, they wouldn’t have a problem with it.
You dumb asses didn’t even read the article. You just used it to Someone thinks they are cute using the worse picture they can find, it is a low level trick used buy some one who has nothing else.
remember her at election time, she gotta go but then she dont care with all the buried money she took.
…this picture even makes her look like the “maroon” she is! We have got to get rid of her!!!
Yeah, like your neighbors, your schools, your hospitals.
you obviously don’t get it, blinded by the white!
Yeah, like a subway extension in California(30 Billion to public transit agencies),
$135 million set aside for the National Endowment for the Arts,
$200 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services,
$50 million to family planning projects,
$50 million is earmarked for “environmental justice purposes,” the bill reads, and is intended to address the health outcome disparities from pollution and the pandemic,
and finally $128.5 billion for funding K-12 schools through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that $6.4 billion of that would be spent in the 2021 fiscal year, which ends in September.
There is more, this is just the highlights.
She gotta go
Recalling the letter that employers sent to unemployment when workers were told to go back to work too early and they didn’t. Unemployment checks were a $1000 a week. Pumped into the economy in almost every state. Money from the people who make money at their mints. That’s what is needed now. It’s works! But the Governor bungled it as well as a good many other matters. Really, fly by night testing companies on the cheap? Whoever they are telling Governor Reynolds what to do are dumb. They lost. Failed. Did the wrong things. And she ain’t that dumb. If you miscalculate your grand reopening and it’s too soon the economic impact by decisions fools make will be triple in the damages done to the economy. State by State of course. Too bad Kim isn’t tight with Nancy Pelosi. She’s got the biggest cookie jar full of cash the likes of which has never been seen. I’m sure she’d share.