I'm happy to say I've received commitments from colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work with me to address this issue as part of legislation to help our nation finally beat COVID-19 once and for all.
But, at almost every step of my committee work, I watched amendment after amendment get shut down. Most of us were there to work, to do our duty to help the American people fight COVID-19 without bankrupting the next generation. But, the higher powers simply weren't interested in hearing our thoughts.
Instead, they were committed to funneling over $350 billion to states to supposedly cover "revenue shortfalls", all while those states haven't even spent all of the $150 billion Congress sent them last year. This isn't about helping states fight COVID-19. It's about forcing all of us to bail out state governments who refused to cut spending on useless programs and focus on COVID relief.
To top it all off, countless children across America are suffering academically, physically, and emotionally from school closures. The data and science informs us, when precautions are taken, schools can and should be a safe place to learn. Parents should have every opportunity to educate them at home or at school; it should be their choice.
The Lowcountry cannot afford Congress to waste another second. Countless Americans are struggling to support themselves and their families, and Washington is failing them. I'm committed to working hard to help Washington roll up it's sleeves and get busy working to defeat COVID-19 and rebuild our nation.
Sincerely,
