Congresswoman Stefanik said she will vote against Congressional Democrats’ “America Rescue Plan Act of 2021,” citing numerous inclusions in the bill that have little to do with COVID-19 and amount to pork barrel spending, foreign aid and far left policy initiatives.

She issued the following statement:

"Speaker Pelosi and President Biden's $2 trillion partisan spending package is filled with pork projects, special interest giveaways, and the Far-Left's policy wish list. It is unacceptable that less than 10% of the package is for public health measures, and more than half of the funding will not even be spent until 2022 or later.

“In the last Congress, I voted for multiple, bipartisan COVID relief packages to fund vaccine research, development, and distribution, and support small businesses, farms, and hardworking families to safely reopen our economy.

“While I have long advocated for critical COVID relief funding for North Country hospitals, counties and municipalities, schools, and small businesses, this bill is packed with unacceptable Far-Left priorities. Rather than reaching across the aisle in the spirit of bipartisanship, Speaker Pelosi and President Biden are instead forcing a highly partisan package with the majority of funding for non-COVID related programs, and then sticking American taxpayers with the 2 trillion dollar bill."

Specifically, Stefanik says the bill includes:

• $15 minimum wage mandate on North Country small businesses, which the Congresswoman said would cost 1.4 million jobs according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office;

• Stimulus checks for illegal immigrants;

• Funding for companies, colleges, and universities with Chinese Communist Party partnerships;

• Additional money for unemployment, which Stefanik said will disincentivize Americans to return to work;

• Zero funding for what the Congresswoman called critical workforce development and job training programs;

• No requirement for schools to reopen for in-person learning;

• PPP funds for violent criminals, including those guilty of sexual crimes, said Stefanik;

• Measures Stefanik said will allow taxpayer dollars to fund abortions;

• $800 million for foreign food aid; and

• Cuts match to the Child Care Entitlement to States grant program, which the Congresswoman said would reduce federal support for North Country families.