Scope of COVID-19 funding cuts emerges as debt restrict flashpoint
Democrats are leaping on the Home GOP plan to recoup unspent pandemic support of their debt restrict invoice, charging that the transfer will hurt companies relying on that funding, together with the Division of Veterans Affairs.
The invoice, which Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is hoping to get on the ground this week, would rescind $72 billion in unobligated pandemic aid support.
A brand new evaluation compiled by Home Appropriations Committee Democrats tallied up the most important sources of untapped COVID-19 money.
Almost $17 billion is sitting in Division of Well being and Human Companies coffers for issues like analysis and testing of vaccines and therapeutics, funds to hospitals and nursing properties, and genomic sequencing of COVID-19 samples to determine variants. Virtually $6 billion would come out of unspent Transportation Division funds for freeway, aviation and transit companies.
“Rescinding this funding would remove essential assets for mayors and governors to maintain their airports open, trains operating, and buses working to get their important employees to and from their jobs to maintain our economic system and folks alive,” the Democrats’ memo states.
