Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate have been bashing projects paid for with American Rescue Plan Act dollars that they see as wasteful. It could be a sign of further scrutiny to come if they take back one or both chambers of Congress.
From hiring social media influencers to tout the tastiness of Alaskan fish, to making it easier to park or access bathrooms at South Carolina beaches, or trying to bring World Cup soccer to New Jersey, decisions by cities and states on how to use American Rescue Plan Act dollars are providing congressional Republicans with fodder to portray the coronavirus rescue law as an inflationary and reckless use of taxpayer money by the Biden administration.
“We have cataloged numerous examples of ridiculous waste of federal tax dollars from the American Rescue Plan,” Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the House Budget Committee’s top Republican, said during a hearing last month.
Spokespeople for Smith and Senate Republicans, who have also charged that ARPA dollars are being spent for things that are not absolutely essential to deal with the pandemic, are silent on what Republicans would do should they win control of Congress next year.
Route Fifty
By Kery Murakami,
Senior Reporter
JULY 8, 2022