Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Rand Paul says timing for $48B COVID business bailout is 'inappropriate' due to historic inflation

Rand Paul says timing for $48B COVID business bailout is 'inappropriate' due to historic inflation

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is pushing back on a $48 billion business bailout bill, which he calls a "poorly-targeted spending spree," amid rising concerns about historic inflation.

On Tuesday evening, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., scheduled a procedural vote this week on a $48 billion bill that would aid businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter reviewed by FOX Business to one of President Biden's senior advisers, Gene Sperling, Paul explained his reasoning behind his opposition to the proposed bill, saying it is an "inappropriate moment to spend taxpayer dollars on restaurants and entertainment."

Paul takes issue with the proposal, which contains "taxpayer-funded grants to restaurants, minor league sports teams, gyms, yachts and limousines businesses and more," because it is being introduced when COVID-19 is "no longer straining our economy," he writes.

The senator argues that additional government spending will only help already-recovering industries at a severe expense to others. Inflation is continuing to hover near a 40-year high and Americans are feeling the pain at the gas pump and at the grocery store as consumer prices continue to rise.

"Congress cannot pass a $48 billion COVID poorly-targeted spending spree if we are truly concerned about inflation," the letter continues.

Sperling has a deadline of Thursday to get back to the senator from Kentucky addressing his concerns.

Paul told FOX Business in an exclusive statement: "COVID-19 is over, and yet Congress is ready to spend $48 billion of borrowed money to bail out yacht and limousines businesses, minor league sports, and luxury gyms under the guise of pandemic relief."

Sen. Rand Paul speaks with reporters after a vote at the Capitol on Dec. 13, 2021.


"Now is perhaps the most inappropriate time to spend more taxpayer dollars on a poorly targeted spending spree while Americans struggle with the effects of price increases and supply chain issues caused by Congress’ last $6 trillion COVID spending extravaganza," the senator continued.

The House of Representatives already passed a $55 billion aid package for businesses and restaurants last month, and the Senate is expected to vote on a procedural motion soon.

The legislation would require 60 votes to pass, which looks unlikely due to Republican opposition and skepticism from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who would need to get on board in order to pass the measure.

The Senate's bill comes the same week as it is set to pass a $40 billion Ukraine aid bill, despite opposition from Paul and a handful of Republican senators.

Sen. Josh Hawley speaks with reporters as he leaves the Senate floor in the Capitol on Dec. 7, 2021.


"The amounts we're talking about are astronomical. I think $40 billion would be about three times as much as Europe has contributed combined, all of the European states, for a war that's happening on their continent," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital Tuesday, saying he's worried it will continue allowing Europe to "freeload."

Last week, Paul blocked a measure that would have fast-tracked the legislation to the Senate floor, saying the bill's direction is muddled and would require additional oversight.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Czech Central Bank Governor Rejects Early Euro Entry and Rate-Cut Pressure
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
Vivienne Westwood Casts Cicciolina, 74, in Its New Autumn Campaign
Dejavu: Germany’s Military Expansion Reshapes Europe’s Strategic Balance With France
Morgan Stanley Builds a Wall Street Lead in AI Infrastructure Finance
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Brilliant move: Péter Magyar Moves to Nominate Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgár as Hungary’s President
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Current AI Seeks to Build an Open Global AI Infrastructure Outside Big Tech Control
Germany’s Economic Malaise Reopens the Sunday Shopping Debate
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Netherlands Declares Water Shortage Emergency After Drought Pushes Rivers to Historic Lows
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Trump Administration Pressures Banks to Restrict Financial Access for Undocumented Immigrants
Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant
Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief
Ukrainian Drone Barrage Kills Eight and Strikes Russian Logistics Network
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
The Monaco Bombing Has Become a Test of Ukraine’s Intelligence Accountability
Leadership Change and Strategic Rivalry Redraw the Political Map
The AI Race Enters Its Infrastructure Era
Britain Nationalises British Steel to Protect Scunthorpe Production and Strategic Supply
French National Assembly Overrides Senate to Pass Historic Assisted-Dying Legislation
Spanish Prime Minister's Wife Ordered to Stand Trial as Corruption Probes Encircle Governing Party
Zelensky Faces Kyiv Protests Over Ousting of Dynamic Ukrainian Defense Minister
Thomas Tuchel Faces Fierce Backlash After Tactical Retreat Costs England World Cup Final Berth
A Quiet Bastille Day: France Grapples with World Cup Heartbreak and Leftover Fireworks
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
Spain and UK Dismantle Gibraltar Border Following Landmark Schengen Integration Treaty
Hungary's "Puppet" President to Be Ousted, Orbán Fumes: "Democracy Is Dead"
Forget Tinder: The Surprising Platform Where People Find Love
Harvard Astrophysicist to Lead U.S. Scientific Advisory on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Emergency Sirens Activated Across Bahrain as Interior Ministry Issues Shelter Directives
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
Passenger Is Pulled Partly Outside Ryanair Jet After Window Fails Mid-Flight
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union
×