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Porker of the Month: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) Porker of the Month for abusing her power during the coronavirus crisis. Beginning on March 10, Gov. Whitmer issued 118 excessive, contradictory, and confusing executive orders for state and local governments, businesses, and individuals in response to the pandemic. For example, she banned the sale of seeds and plants to grow food at home but allowed grocery stores to continue selling fruits and vegetables, and allowed pet grooming services to reopen but not hair salons. CAGW President Tom Schatz said, “Gov. Whitmer’s abuse of power during a worldwide pandemic is shameful and insulting to Michiganders. She is taking advantage of a crisis to promote an agenda that hurts taxpayers and local businesses. She is picking winners and losers by randomly deciding who can open and who must remain closed, as thousands of small businesses remain desperate for the chance to recover from unprecedented losses.” Read more about the Porker of the Month.
CAGW Hosts Event with FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly
On June 29, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Michael O’Rielly joined CAGW President Tom Schatz for a conversation on Facebook Live. O’Rielly and Schatz discussed what the commission has done to help Americans stay connected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and how the future of telecommunications policy will look in a post-COVID-19 world. Watch the event on CAGW’s Facebook page.
CCAGW Continues Campaign to Stop Pelosi Bill
CCAGW this month launched an Action Alert campaign targeting members of the Senate demanding they oppose House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) new radical and wasteful coronavirus legislation, which passed the House in May, would cost taxpayers more than $3 trillion. The bill would double the amount of money already being spent in response to the pandemic and permanently increase the size, scope and power of the federal government. It stands as the most expensive legislation of its kind to ever be considered by Congress. The current campaign followed an earlier Action Alert that demanded that House members vote against the legislation when it was being considered by the House. The Action Alert has delivered more than 25,000 letters to House and Senate offices to date. Tell your U.S. Senators to oppose Pelosi’s bill!
From “The WasteWatcher” …
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) continues to use the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to expand the use of his executive powers, and now both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are criticizing him for the size and scope of his power grab, explains CAGW State Government Affairs Associate Frances Floresca in “The WasteWatcher,” CAGW’s staff blog. Since March 4, Gov. Newsom has issued 32 executive orders from instituting stay at home orders and shutting down businesses to changing elections to vote-by-mail. The governor has asked the legislature to approve $2.9 billion to fund the coronavirus response on top of the $1 billion already appropriated by the legislature and $9.5 billion received from the federal government. There is now bipartisan opposition from Newsom’s power grab and profligate spending, with members of both parties questioning his spending and use of executive powers. Ultimately, additional oversight is necessary to provide more accountability and transparency, argues Floresca. Read more on “The Waste Watcher.”
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