Dear John,

Congress has been busy this week passing much needed COVID relief for the American people. While I am disgusted with the House Leadership and the budgeting process, I do believe this nearly $900 billion COVID relief bill puts us in the right direction to help Americans stay afloat throughout the holidays and during the pandemic. This relief will get us through the point where vaccines will be more available and will help us defeat this virus for good.

On Monday night, I joined my Problem Solvers Caucus colleagues to break gridlock on the COVID negotiations and pass the Bipartisan Emergency COVID relief Act of 2020 which consists of $892 billion of emergency assistance for American families, workers, and small businesses. Of that $892 billion, we use $560 billion in previously unspent CARES Act money. To learn more about the bill’s provisions, click here.

Since its passage, there has been much confusion and frustration with the process of the vote and Speaker Pelosi’s decision to combine the COVID relief bill with the annual appropriations bill that funds our State, Defense, Energy Departments. The Appropriations bill should have passed in September and we’ve been funding the government using a Continuing Resolution, which made it imperative that we pass a real Appropriations bill sooner rather than later. The Appropriations bill should have passed months ago. Watch KETV’s story on this here.

To clarify, the appropriations bill does include aid to other countries, a pay raise for our military, and much more. However, I can assure you that the COVID relief bill does not contain money for foreign aid. In the end, this COVID bill is a victory over the Speaker, despite her efforts to stall negotiations for nearly five months.

In the beginning, she wanted a $3 trillion bill, then a $2.2 trillion bill, and then rejected President Trump’s offer of a $1.8 trillion bill. This new COVID relief bill contains $885 billion of which $560 billion is already appropriated, and we redirected it. Therefore, the cost of the COVID bill is $325B in new spending, approximately 10 percent of what the Speaker wanted. 

Personally, I believe combining the two bills was not wise. I also didn’t like having the two bills voted on at the same time, nor the fact that the Speaker gave each member only five hours to read the 6,000 plus-page bill. She saw this as a political opportunity to drive a wedge between the GOP, which is a terrible way to govern. Though I do note that I’ve been working on the COVID and Appropriations bill for months, and I was familiar with both before we got the actual bills.

We need more bipartisan discussions and more seeking consensus. Speaker Pelosi had countless opportunities to provide direct relief to Americans, but instead admitted she wanted to wait until a new Administration was in the White House. This move alone was reckless and selfish, and the American people deserve better. Defeating President Trump was more important than getting COVID relief to struggling small businesses and the unemployed.

President Trump and his Administration have negotiated the final COVID bill and Appropriations bill every step of the way. In fact, the President’s team asked us to support the bill on Monday.

While I’m disappointed in his apparent reversal, I do give credit to him and his Administration for the tremendous success of Operation Warp Speed that is providing a safe vaccine for the American people in record time.

I’ve talked to so many restaurants and live venue owners who are still struggling and need immediate assistance. This is a fiscally responsible COVID relief package that will help struggling families, small businesses and healthcare workers get the relief they need. Channel 3’s KMTV has covered this story and the need to help our struggling restaurants and stages, and I stand in solidarity with them.

If you have any questions or are not sure where to go for help, you can visit my COVID-19 information webpage which provides a list of local, state, and federal resources. You can also contact my office at 402-938-0300.

As always, I pray for you and your families during this time. I am doing everything I can to fight for you in Congress. Stay safe and healthy.

Don Bacon