Rep. Andrew Clyde issued the following statement denouncing H.R. 1319, commonly known as the Payoff to Progressives Act:

“H.R. 1319, Speaker Pelosi’s $1.9 trillion so-called ‘stimulus’ package, is nothing more than a payoff to progressives at taxpayer expense. The Payoff to Progressives Act doesn’t incentivize schools to reopen, fails to encourage people to re-enter the workforce, and doesn’t provide pandemic relief. In fact, 91 percent of the bill has nothing to do with pandemic relief! What it does do is fund abortion services, kill jobs, and throw taxpayer money to fringe progressive causes.

Some of these ridiculous expenses include:

• $50 million for Planned Parenthood;

• $140 million for a costly, controversial transit project in Silicon Valley, the wealthiest area in California;

• And up to $21,000 just for federal employees who have kids out of school—not private individuals.

The Payoff to Progressives Act is so full of pork, Speaker Pelosi should consider opening up a barbecue shop. Republicans and Democrats already negotiated five separate relief packages to address the fallout from the pandemic and the resulting economic downturn, and more that $1 trillion from those efforts remains unspent today. The purpose of this bill is not to help small businesses, families, and hard-working Americans navigate this challenging time, it’s about government control, and I absolutely oppose it.”