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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Congress takes the next steps on President Biden’s widely popular coronavirus relief plan, Politico is reporting that the GOP opposition is “closing ranks” on the “pork-laden” bill that consists of $1,400 stimulus checks, additional unemployment benefits, and more. A new Accountable.US analysis highlights the special interest provisions in the first two COVID-19 relief bills that were broadly supported by conservative senators — showcasing the hypocrisy of their current opposition to Biden’s plan.  

 “Conservative senators didn’t think twice about voting for $174 billion in tax breaks and the approval of new types of sunscreen, but now these senators draw the line at additional stimulus checks, small business relief, and vaccine money,” said Jeremy Funk, spokesman for Accountable.US. “Let’s face it: this isn’t about special interest provisions — they obviously just don’t want to help people.”  

 Blocking Real Relief = Economic Sabotage: Analysis from the Economic Policy Institute, the Brookings Institute, and others found the economy will continue to drag without another major pandemic relief package. Moody’s Analytics chief economist and former top McCain economic adviser Mark Zandi estimates the Biden rescue plan, which includes $1,400 stimulus checks, would restore pandemic job losses by the fall of next year.   

REPUBLICAN-LED SPECIAL INTEREST PROVISIONS IN THE FIRST TWO RELIEF BILLS:  

  • The CARES Act Contained A Provision Benefiting The Makers Of “‘Innovative’ Sunscreens” – As Made By L’Oreal Operating In Senator Mitch McConnell’s Home State Of Kentucky.
  • The CARES Act Contained Provisions Allowing The Nation’s Largest Casino Operations To Access $454 Billion In Treasury Loans.
  • The CARES Act Included $174 Billion In Tax Breaks For Wealthy Individuals And Large Corporations That Had Long Been Pushed By Lobbyists, Just Two Years After They Got Windfalls From Trump’s Signature Tax Cuts—One Of These Breaks Even Made It Easier For Private Equity Firms To ‘To Swoop In And Scoop Up Struggling Businesses.’ 
  • The Omnibus COVID Relief Bill Contained A Provision Meant To Regulate The Use Of Performance Enhancing Drugs In The Horse Racing Industry—A Horse Breeder Said The Carveout “‘Gives The Horse Industry A Future.’” 
  • The Omnibus COVID Relief Bill Contained A Provision Doubling An Existing “‘Three-Martini Lunch Deduction'” So Businesses Could “Write Off 100% Of Business Dining Expenses Through 2022.”  

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