JOE BIDEN - FOLKS, I'VE GOT JILL, NANCY AND KAMALA DOWN IN THE BASEMENT PRINTING MASSIVE DEFICITS - Exclusive – Heritage Action Urges Senate Against $48 Billion Restaurant Bailout

 

Exclusive – Heritage Action Urges Senate Against $48 Billion Restaurant Bailout

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Seth Wenig, File/AP

SEAN MORAN

19 May 20220

2:44

Heritage Action for America urged senators to oppose Democrats’ $48 billion bailout for restaurants, gyms, and live event venues, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.

The Senate will on Thursday vote on the “poorly named” Small Business COVID Relief Act of 2022 (S. 4008). The legislation will provide $40 billion to “backfill” the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, $2 billion for gyms, $2 billion for live event venues, $2 billion for transportation providers, and $1.4 billion for businesses located near ports of entry.

Heritage Action said in their press release about the bill:

It is never appropriate for Congress to pass a giant bailout for special interests, but given the state of the economy, it is the last thing that should be considered right now. Americans have been living more than two years with COVID, and the federal government has already spent $6.6 trillion on it—the equivalent of $51,600 per household. This spending spree has been a major driver of the inflation crisis the country currently faces, which continues to serve as a tax that eats into the wages of working Americans. In fact, The Heritage Foundation has calculated that inflation is currently costing the average American household around $8,500 per year. Pouring an additional $48 billion into the economy will only add fuel to the inflation fire.

For the better part of the last two years, Democrat-run states and cities ignored science by forcing their businesses to stay closed and their citizens to stay home. While this was disastrous policy at the time, even the most liberal state and local governments have now opened up.

…

The last thing the country needs right now is more no-strings attached cash dumped into politically favored industries and geographic areas, which will only result in higher prices for the rest of the country and further increase the deficit. Republicans have rightly pointed out that Democrats’ reckless spending has been one of the major drivers of the inflation crisis we face, but helping them push almost $50 billion more in spending would undermine that message and make Republicans complicit.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) lamented in an interview with Breitbart News Daily that many Republicans are lining up to vote for a coronavirus bailout bill after most lockdowns have been over for at least one year.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

Senate Passes $40 Billion in Aid to Ukraine During 40-Year-High Inflation

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Efrem Lukatsky/AP

SEAN MORAN

19 May 20220

7:26

The Senate on Thursday passed legislation to give $40 billion to Ukraine in economic and military aid, while Americans suffer from food shortages and inflation.

The Senate voted on H.R. 7691, the Ukraine Supplemental Aid Package, which passed 86-11. The vote featured strong Republican and Democrat support for the bill; however, some populist Senate Republicans opposed the legislation, believing that America should focus its efforts on domestic crises such as 40-year-high inflation and baby formula shortages.

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) voted against the bill.

Senate Republican populists could not stop the overwhelming Senate support to stop the legislation, even though it required 60 votes, but Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) managed to delay the passage of the bill until Thursday.

Paul told Breitbart News Daily host Alex Marlow that the United States would have to borrow the $40 billion to send the tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine. The Senate did not vote on Paul’s proposed amendment to have an inspector general ensure the billions were spent wisely.

Paul lamented the “bipartisan consensus” that Republicans need to give Democrats more social welfare spending to obtain more military spending.

The bill’s delay garnered extra attention for the legislation, which led many lawmakers to question the need to increasingly have the United States intervene on behalf of Ukraine during its conflict with Russia.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) also became a sharp detractor of the Ukraine aid bill, contending that it is not in America’s interests.

“Spending $40 billion on Ukraine aid – more than three times what all of Europe has spent combined – is not in America’s interests. It neglects priorities at home (the border), allows Europe to freeload, short changes critical interests abroad and comes w/ no meaningful oversight,” Hawley wrote.

“That’s not isolationism. That’s nationalism. It’s about prioritizing American security and American interests,” he added.

Hawley said, “The $40 billion Ukraine bill represents a return to nation building. Wrong choice. I’m a no.”

“I support helping Ukraine expel the Russian invasion, but as inflation, gas prices, and shortages wallop Americans here at home I can’t support $40 billion of new spending unless it’s offset with cuts or taken from already authorized funds, especially when the European Union isn’t matching what we’re doing to end this conflict in their own backyard,” Braun, who voted against the legislation, said in a statement this week.

“I am fully in support of Ukraine and its efforts to push back on Russian aggression. I am, however, concerned about this particular request. President Biden requested $33 billion, yet we are voting on a $40 billion package. It’s important to give Ukraine the support they need, but we also need to be pragmatic about the amount of money we are spending,” Lummis, who also voted against the bill, said in a statement.

In contrast, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), contended that America needs to send Ukraine the tens of billions of dollars in aid to “stand with the freedom-loving people of Ukraine.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, “America is by nature a noninterventionist nation. However, America has historically been the arsenal of democracy and stood up for freedom when very few would.”

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)) said, “Let’s be clear: Supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia puts U.S. security interests first. We also need to be clear that for the last 17 months, @POTUS could have done much more to deter Russia & much less to appease Putin.”

The Ukraine aid package also passed through the House with overwhelming Democrat and Republican support, although 57 Republicans voted against the legislation.

Breitbart News defense reporter Kristina Wong broke down the spending for the Ukraine aid package, which includes $20 billion for the Department of Defense:

— $17 billion for U.S. military operations, including the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, and to replace U.S. military equipment sent to Ukraine;
— $1.8 billion in U.S. military equipment for Ukraine;
— $414 million for “research, development, test and evaluation” related to the Ukraine war;
— $15 million for U.S. troop pay related to the war; and
— $13.9 million for the Defense Health Program.

Roughly $20 billion was for Ukraine, the State Department, international organizations, and other agencies, including:

— $8.77 billion in economic assistance for Ukraine;
— $4.35 billion in humanitarian aid for Ukraine;
— $4 billion for foreign military financing program (run by the State Department);
— $900 million for the Administration for Children and Families for refugee and entrant assistance;
— $500 million for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;
— $400 million for international narcotics control and law enforcement to combat human trafficking and collect evidence of war crimes;
— $350 million for the State Department’s Migration and Refugee Assistance;
— $190 million for the State Department for “Diplomatic Programs”;
— $150 million for the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program;
— $110 million for the State Department for embassy security, construction, and maintenance;
— $100 million for the State Department for nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, de-mining and related programs;
— $67 million for the Justice Department;
— $54 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out public health and disease detection related to Ukraine;
— $17 million for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID);
— $10 million for the State Department’s “Capital Investment Fund”;
— $4 million for the State Department’s Office of Inspector General;
— $2 million for “salaries and expenses” to provide regulatory and technical support; and
— $1 million for USAID’s Office of Inspector General.

The legislation goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to sign.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.