Democrats’ proposed COVID stimulus package, which is currently being debated, is receiving criticism for language on the allocation of funds to individual states. Buried in the hefty bill is a mandate that will ultimately benefit blue states, by ensuring that funding is contingent on a state’s unemployment population rather than the entire population.
States with high unemployment rates, including California and New York, will reap the benefits of this statute within the bill. Republican governors have led by example by reopening their states’ economies, resulting in lower unemployment rates, but will ultimately be punished by the provision written in by Democrats.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) accused Democrats of “rewarding the states that have the highest unemployment rates,” ultimately incentivizing lockdowns.
New this AM: @GovRonDeSantis blasts new Dem stimulus bill for changing how funds are distributed
— Jesse Hunt (@JJHunt10) February 26, 2021
"So if you locked down, if you destroyed your own economy...you're getting a windfall. And states like FL...that have saved our economies...end up getting the short end of the stick" pic.twitter.com/ovk9pngL9f
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA), who has also liberated his state from draconian restrictions, also slammed the bill as a “bailout” for states that mandated strict lockdowns.
“It's kind of outrageous, quite honestly, that states are being penalized for having a good economy or low unemployment. Meanwhile, the states that don't have a strong economy are getting a bailout,” Kemp said on Fox News Radio. "The problems that they're trying to fix in some of these states like California, New York, or Illinois are issues unrelated to COVID."
The House is currently debating the package, with a vote expected late on Friday night. Republicans are overwhelmingly opposed to what they deem to be “payoffs,” rather than real relief for Americans.