Here are some of Sen. Blackburn’s serious concerns with provisions buried in the 5,593 page Omnibus and Relief Package:
1. Unconscionable Spending
Spending $2.4 trillion of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars will make it even harder for our economy to recover
2. New York Public Transportation
Mass transit will receive over $4 billion for public transportation despite subway ridership plummeting more than 70%
3. Endless Lawsuits for Businesses
• The over 5,500 page bill didn’t include any legal protections for businesses
• This means that businesses bear the brunt of all lawsuits from employees and customers regarding reopening in a pandemic
• Without protections, businesses burdened with lawsuits could be caught in a second pandemic
4. Pell Grants for Prisoners
• Prisoners enrolled in prison education program are now eligible for federal Pell Grants reserved for low-income students
5. Illegal Immigrant Benefits
• Households with illegal immigrants are now eligible to get paychecks for this round of relief and retroactively for the last round of relief
• In the new bill, households will receive $600 for each adult and $1,200 for each adult from the first round
6. Energy Market Interference
• This bill imposes climate change initiatives that pick winners and losers in the energy sector through subsidies, mandates, and by doubling down on failed government-driven programs
• The funding for “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy” is allocated at $2.86 billion—a $16 million increase from FY20 levels
• The resulting research grants in wind energy, geothermal energy, and mineral production interfere with the energy market and are yet another example of frivolous spending in a time of need
7. Irrelevant, Liberal Agenda-Driven Foreign Aid
• $179,000,000 for renewable energy programs in Africa
• $10,000,000 for gender programs in Pakistan
• $50,000,000 for higher education programs in Malawi and Egypt
