WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following his call for governors and mayors across the United States to reject and return any federal funding from President Biden’s massive, partisan and wasteful $1.9 trillion “COVID” spending package in excess of their federally-reimbursable COVID-19 related expenses.

According to Moody’s Analytics, the funding for state and local governments in the Democrats’ massive $1.9 trillion “COVID” spending bill was more than quadruple what is needed to plug state and local budget holes through next summer. State and local governments, many who haven’t even seen a downturn in their revenue, are suddenly awash in their share of this money – and are planning to use the cash – not for COVID relief – but to fund projects that “had long seemed totally unaffordable” and have nothing to do with COVID.

Senator Rick Scott said, “America is $30 trillion in debt and Democrats in Washington are haphazardly throwing money to anyone and everyone with no care for what it means for our future. Anyone in state and local government who calls themselves a fiscal conservative should know that the funding in the Democrats’ massive spending bill is not free money. This money belongs to the taxpayers and lawmakers have a responsibility to spend it wisely. State and local governments have already received roughly $400 billion in funding from previous COVID-19 bills and we know state and local budgets are faring far better than once anticipated. They didn’t need additional funding from the so-called ‘American Rescue Plan Act’ and now we’re seeing many reveal plans to use it as a slush fund to complete their long-awaited pet projects. Governors, mayors and state legislatures across the country need to stand up, say this is wrong and reject any federal funding from this package in excess of their federally-reimbursable COVID-19 related expenses.”

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