Last week, House Democrats passed a budget resolution that provides them with a framework to pass a budget without input from a single Republican, even though Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that we are willing to come to the table and work together in a bipartisan fashion for the good of the American people. Congress has yet to hold even a single committee hearing on a budget, and Democrats are bypassing the process in an attempt to advance their radical agenda and ultimately rush through President Biden’s proposed budget.
I voted against this budget resolution because it is nothing more than a vehicle which will allow Democrats to pass President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. Since the start of the COVID pandemic, Congress has provided more than $4 trillion in aid to individuals, business owners, and local and state governments. More than $1.3 trillion of this aid remains unused and is still available for the federal response to the pandemic, so it is unwise and irresponsible to rush through another emergency COVID spending package.
With the U.S. debt nearing $28 trillion, we cannot afford to keep spending at such unsustainable levels. The pandemic is a looming problem that certainly must be addressed, but we must avoid making today’s solutions become tomorrow’s unsolvable problems. Biden’s relief bill ignores hardworking Americans who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, while providing billions of dollars in bailout money to governors who used lockdowns and economic shutdowns to harm political opponents. This is unacceptable.
Democrats are using the budget resolution as a blank check to fundamentally change America through a rushed partisan process. This establishes a dangerous precedent that will lead to further increases of the deficit while doing nothing to help Americans who need relief. Instead of giving cash bailouts and increasing spending without due process, we should be working together to provide targeted aid to people who have been directly affected by the pandemic. Getting these folks back on their feet and getting our businesses safely opened back up should be our top priority as we work to overcome the pandemic.
Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. He lives in Mobile with his wife Tina.
