I hope you saw my latest weekly column.

 

ROGER WICKER: Wicker opposes Biden’s spending bill
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After a year of economic uncertainty, America received some encouraging news
from the Congressional Budget Office this month. This non-partisan agency
projected that our economy will return to its pre-pandemic size by the middle
of this year, even without new stimulus from Congress. This report indicates
that the foundations of our economy remain strong and that workers can expect
more opportunity as vaccines reach more Americans. This positive forecast calls
into question President Biden’s case for a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, which
he says is necessary to jumpstart our economy.

 

Over the past year, Congress has approved $4 trillion in COVID-related relief
to workers, families, and vulnerable sectors of our economy. Over $1 trillion
of this money still remains to be distributed, making Mr. Biden’s proposal
premature. The President’s plan also contains a number of wasteful priorities
that do not address the nation’s most pressing needs. 

 

Republicans have proposed a new round of cash payments targeted for those who
are most in need. Many Americans who would receive checks under President
Biden’s proposal, however, have not missed a paycheck during this crisis. These
massive payments would add to the mountain of debt that our children and
grandchildren will have to repay. In addition, the President’s proposal would
use taxpayer dollars to bail out pension funds in poorly-run states like
Illinois. It would allow union-controlled school districts, such as those in
Chicago and Los Angeles, to receive billions in aid without reopening
classrooms. And it would allow Planned Parenthood affiliates—which previously
had been barred from COVID relief funds—to receive taxpayer-funded aid.

 

In another troubling development, Democrats are getting behind Vermont Sen.
Bernie Sanders’s proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Although this might bring a pay raise to some, it would devastate small
businesses and result in many Americans losing their jobs or having reduced
work hours. The Congressional Budget Office projects that a $15 minimum wage
would cost the nation 1.4 million jobs, and the Heritage Foundation has
estimated Mississippi would lose more than 120,000 jobs.

 

Restaurants in particular would be devastated by this policy. The food service
industry has already suffered roughly one out of four job losses from the
pandemic. Many restaurants are now hanging by a thread, and this proposal could
wipe them out for good. Now is the worst possible time to impose such a heavy
burden on our small businesses.

 

Instead of undermining job creators and spending unnecessary trillions,
Congress should play a constructive role by sending relief where it is actually
needed. Last year, I introduced the RESTAURANTS Act to create a fund to help
independently-owned restaurants survive the COVID-19 crisis. Congress recently
adopted the outline of this proposal by an overwhelming vote of 90-10. This
measure will extend a critical lifeline to struggling restaurants across
America.

 

The more modest and targeted Republican plan would include new funding for
vaccine development and distribution, as well as replenishing the Paycheck
Protection Program, which has helped many small businesses stay afloat during
this crisis. Above all, Congress needs to focus on helping rather than
undermining our recovery. All five COVID bills last year were passed with
near-unanimous bipartisan support. I hope President Biden will back away from
his partisan proposal and make good on his pledge to work with Republicans to
meet our nation’s needs.

 

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Thank you for your support,

Senator Roger Wicker

 

 

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