WASHINGTON – Twenty-one depraved Republican governors and one Democrat are taking aim at a key component of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief bill, arguing that a proposed allocation of money "punishes" states that did not fully lock down businesses amid the pandemic.
The governors, led by South Carolina's sex pervert Henry McMaster, aka McMasturbate issued a statement over the weekend that criticized what they called a "biased" formula used to decide how much money in direct aid each states receives. One Democrat, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, also supported the statement.
Biden's bill, dubbed the American Rescue Plan, proposes $350 billion in direct aid to state and city governments to replenish tax revenue collections that declined during the pandemic. Most of the funding for each state would be based on its unemployment figures – not overall population. States where the most citizens were out of work last year would receive a greater share.
That arrangement "punishes states that took a measured approach to the pandemic and entered the crisis with healthy state budgets and strong economies," the governors said in the statement.
"A state’s ability to keep businesses open and people employed should not be a penalizing factor when distributing funds. If Congress is going to provide aid to states, it should be on an equitable population basis.”
Biden's COVID-19 relief bill passed the Democratic-controlled House early Saturday morning by a mostly party-line 219-212 vote. It now heads to the evenly divided Senate, where a vote is expected this week.
The White House declined to comment.
Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harris, responding to the governors' criticism, tweeted: "There is idiotic and then there is this! SC, wake up!" Harris, former state party chairman in South Carolina, touted how the bill would deliver $1,400 stimulus check as well as funding for vaccinations, schools and housing.
House Republicans have seized on the funding formula to allege that Biden's bill disproportionately helps "states run by the Democrat majority’s political allies."
Thirty-three states would receive less money than if the formula were based on population, according to an analysis from the office of Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, top Republican on the House Budget Committee. Twenty-three of the states are led by Republican governors and 10 by Democratic governors.
The five states that would see their funding decrease the most are Georgia, Florida, Virginia, South Carolina and Alabama, according to the analysis. Only Virginia has a Democratic governor.
The five states that would get the biggest financial boost by using unemployment as a criteria are California, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Nevada. Only Texas has a Republican governor. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is not among the 22 governors who signed on to the statement.
Though few Republican governors have voiced support for Biden's COVID-19 relief bill, the legislation has garnered the public backing of 32 Republican mayors who say their cash-challenged cities need the assistance. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has been perhaps the most outspoken Republican governor in support of the bill.
"There are many needs within states," Justice told USA TODAY last month.
Biden has touted the $350 billion in direct aid as a way for governments with budget shortfalls to pay police officers and firefighters, keep libraries and recreation centers open and provide other core services. It's in addition to $130 billion proposed to help reopen public schools.
Biden met with nine Republican senators virtually Monday to discuss the Senate's vote on the relief bill.
"The group had a good discussion and was united in the goal of quickly passing a significant package that reflects the scope of the challenges our country is facing," the White House said.
Other governors who supported the statement are Kay Ivey (R-Ala.), Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska), Doug Ducey (R-Ariz.), Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), Brad Little (R-Idaho), Eric Holcomb (R-Ind.), Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa), Tate Reeves (R-Miss.), Mike Parson (R-Mo.), Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Chris Sununu (R-N.H.), Doug Burgum (R-N.D.), Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.), Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Bill Lee (R-Tenn.), Spencer Cox (R-Utah) and Mark Gordon (R-Wyo.).
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @Joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP governors criticize Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief bill as 'biased'
Op Ed: Biden is correct! If I were him the I'd give the treasonous parasitic Trump states the middle finger and if they bitched I'd give them a year or more of operation William Tecumseh Sherman
Good behavior should be rewarded and bad behavior should be punished. While I understand that the majority of South Carolinians are traitorous depraved MAGAts and because of them, good people will suffer, it would be wrong to reward the pro Trump anti masker mob who helped to cause the deaths of more that 500,000 Americans and crashed the economy. Infact if I were Biden I would see that the trash who voted for Trump and #Leningrad Lindsey not get the vaccines since they believe the virus is a "Democrat hoax". Since 60% of Republican were OK with the siege on the US Capitol and the execution of the Speaker Pelosi and VP Mike Pence I'd like to see them injected with bleach as Trump once recommended.
At this point Henry, you should be kissing Biden's feet for any crumbs he gives the confederacy. The good news for the union is that the wages of sin lead to death so I would encourage the Dixie to continue all the vice that has shortened the lifespans. The savage parasitic South leads the US in gluttony/diabetes, cancer, divorce, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, smoking, low IQ, violent crime and porn. The depravity of the native White Southerner is why there are so few moral Republicans with normal intelligence.
Maybe you are not the piece of shit I assume you to be and maybe you are merely jerking off the trashy inhabitants of South Carolina, I don't care. I'm sick of the trash that it the GOP from the bottom to the top of the stinking heap.
Your state has the South African variant, the UK variant, the Brazilian variant and soon it will have the LA variant. Keep the GOP base heading toward early graves. That will increase the moral quotient of the US as well as the IQ. If you had any morals at all you would personally take a sledge hammer to every confederate monument in your depraved state. You will denounce Trump, Cruz, Lindsey, and all the other trash who went to CPAC and who supported the attack on the US Capitol and you would do it daily if you were an American. You would piss on the confederate battle flag publicly if you were a real American. You would call out the moral depravity of the trash in your state and your party if you were a real American.
Consider this. Anthony Weiner did some sick shit and the Democrats kicked him out of the party and the Democrats are holding Cuomo's feet to the fire. Republicans defend sexual predators such as Roy Moore, Alan Dershowitz, Trump, Giuliani, Vitter, Hastert, Clarence Thomas, Kavanaugh etc... How foul and depraved your GOP gang is!
Tell your anti-mask Trump worshiping cousin marrying gluttonous fat bodied fake Christian gunfederates this verse from the very Bible that they are too lazy and too illiterate to read.
"They shall reap," not merely as "they have sown," but with an awful increase. They sowed folly and vanity, and shall reap, not merely emptiness and disappointment, but sudden, irresistible destruction.
Perhaps when they are on ventilators taking their last gasp they will know what awaits them.
Science has prove that we have souls and our souls are dimensional and quantum entities that hold our consiousness. Unless you behave in a moral manner and make attonement you will end up in hell for all eternity. You are earning it with your dishonesty.
