Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, voted against the Senate version of the near $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package that was ultimately passed along party lines Wednesday, marking the second such vote against the package over the past several weeks.
COVID relief should be just that, relief. Instead, only 9% of the COVID “relief” bill goes towards actual relief.
This isn’t rocket science. Americans deserve actual relief, not a bill that sends their hard-earned taxpayer dollars to fund partisan pet projects.
— Rep. Mike Garcia (@RepMikeGarcia) March 9, 2021
On Wednesday, Garcia voted against the Senate’s version of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, which was ultimately approved in a mostly party-line 220-211 vote.
“COVID relief should be just that, relief,” Garcia wrote in a Tweet the day before the vote. “Instead, only 9% of the COVID ‘relief’ bill goes towards actual relief. This isn’t rocket science. Americans deserve actual relief, not a bill that sends their hard-earned taxpayer dollars to fund partisan pet projects.”
Garcia’s vote comes less than two weeks after he voted against the original House version of the COVID-19 stimulus package, which was ultimately approved in another mostly party-line 219-212 vote.
“I’m committed to providing Americans the support they need to combat COVID-19 and open our communities,” Garcia wrote in a post ahead of the first vote. “But a $1.9 trillion bill that only puts 9% towards COVID when the U.S. already has a $27 trillion debt is foolish.”
The two votes represent a break from his previous votes when it comes to COVID-19 stimulus, having voted in favor of the $900 billion stimulus package passed back in December.
“While this bill isn’t perfect, it funnels resources where they are most needed without the unnecessary spending found in Pelosi’s $3 (trillion) COVID-19 relief proposals,” Garcia said in a statement at the time. “As a fiscal conservative the size of this bill is staggering. But in the end, it is needed and may still not be enough for some small businesses and individuals who are suffering.”
See Related: Garcia Votes Against $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Stimulus Package
A week after that, Garcia was among Republicans in the House who voted in favor of increasing the size of COVID-19 stimulus checks in that package from $600 to $2,000, which ultimately failed.
“The reality is these checks are not helping us fight COVID but are helping us survive the government-induced lockdowns,” Garcia said in a statement at the time. “While I am a fiscal conservative, the original $600 was way too little, especially in SoCal, where the cost of living is higher, and in CA-25, where our unemployment rate is over 10%.”
The original package passed in the House would have provided direct payments of $1,400 to people earning less than $75,000, with the amount phasing out for those earning up to $100,000. Couples earning less than $150,000 a year would have received $2,800, and families with children would be eligible for an additional $1,400 per dependent.
Unlike the last two rounds of payments, adult dependents such as college students would be eligible for the payments.
Additionally, the package provided additional assistance for unemployed and uninsured Americans, as well as a bigger tax break for parents.
That package was then amended in the U.S. Senate, removing a $15 federal minimum wage provision and reducing the amount of unemployment benefits.
Additionally, the newly-passed bill phases out $1,400 stimulus checks at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for couples. Under the original House package, stimulus checks would have phased out for individuals making between $75,000-$100,000 a year and couples making $150,000-$200,000.
Officials estimate that roughly eight million fewer households will get a check under the newly-passed package.
The COVID-19 stimulus package now goes to the desk of President Joe Biden, who White House officials say will sign the bill on Friday.
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