Democratic state treasurers are warning Congress against a GOP pitch to repurpose funds from President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief law to pay for infrastructure investments, The Hill reported. In an open letter to lawmakers yesterday, 14 Democratic state treasurers argued that taking funds from the COVID-19 relief measure would imperil the economic recovery. “These investments are already getting shots in arms and protecting the jobs of teachers, firefighters, health care workers and law enforcement. They will ensure not only recovery from the losses of the pandemic, but actually help reach pre-pandemic forecasts of economic growth,” the state treasurers wrote in the letter, which was spearheaded by Invest in America Action, an advocacy group pushing for a robust infrastructure package. “Now that the road to recovery is clear, some members of Congress are considering clawing back these vital funds to pay for other priorities,” the letter continued. “As State Treasurers and guardians of our states’ fiscal health, we urge Congress to resist calls to raid COVID relief funding. The risks are too great and will cause a longer, more difficult economic recovery for everyone.”
