Newhouse to Protect Taxpayers, Vote Against $2 Trillion Partisan Wish List

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement announcing his intention to protect taxpayers by voting against H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021:

"With only 9% of this massive, $2 trillion package devoted to combatting COVID-19, it's clear the ‘American Rescue Plan' is a partisan ploy to achieve liberal policy priorities rather than provide assistance to those who need it most," said Rep. Newhouse. "Any spending package we pass should be targeted, immediate, and – most importantly – directly tied to helping our families and communities recover from this pandemic."

He continued, "We still have more than $1 trillion of unspent funding from previous bipartisan relief packages. Instead of recklessly spending taxpayer dollars and adding to our national debt, we should be working to ensure that money gets delivered to those it was intended to help. We must focus on crushing this virus and restoring our way of life, and this package doesn't do that. The people of Central Washington deserve better."

Rep. Newhouse joined Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) to introduce an amendment to H.R. 1319 that would provide overdue assistance to rural communities.

Specifically, this amendment makes critical investments in rural development and agricultural support programs, including:

• $2.1 billion for rural hospitals, public safety facilities, and schools;
• $1 billion in support for biofuels producers impacted by the pandemic;
• $800 million to address the urgent need of rural broadband connectivity;
• $2 billion in loan guarantees for struggling rural businesses,
• Requires the Biden Administration unfreeze Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments, and
• Disaster assistance for producers suffering losses in 2020

"We sincerely appreciate Representative Newhouse's sponsorship of this amendment to the COVID-19 relief bill. Rural communities like ours have experienced unprecedented economic downturn as a result of this pandemic. Especially hit hard has been our rural hospitals," said Alan Fisher, CEO of Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak. "With increased costs of providing a safe environment for patients and staff combined with periodic closing of essential services has resulted in an over one million dollar loss this year to our facility. The assistance provided by this amendment would ensure that hospitals like ours will remain viable through this crisis. We can't thank Representative Newhouse enough for his dedication to rural America."

Rep. Newhouse also cosponsored an amendment introduced by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) to reinstate Hyde Amendment protections and ensure U.S. taxpayer dollars are not used to pay for abortions, as well as an amendment to insert the resolution he introduced in support of hydropower as an essential renewable energy resource.

Unfortunately, Democrats blocked the amendments from being considered on the House floor.