WASHINGTON––Today, Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) announced the introduction of the Responsible and Effective Spending Cuts of Undesirable Expenditures (RESCUE) Act of 2021.

“This Congress, the Democrats, successfully hoodwinked the American people into thinking the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was a legitimate rescue plan. The facts proved that less than 10% of this non-COVID relief bill went towards pandemic relief—and the other 90% went towards pet projects and Pelosi payouts. Congress is notorious for operating off a blank check. This fiscal irresponsibility is why the American people flipped nearly 30 Democrat seats and sent almost 50 new Conservatives to the House of Representatives to change this pattern of willful negligence in governing.

“Congressional Democrats have misused taxpayer dollars to fund their reckless policies, and my bill ensures that Medicare is exempt of any sequester to cover for the ARP. This $1.9 trillion bailout will undoubtedly force future cuts to important programs and services, and Medicare will be on the chopping block. My constituents, many of whom are recipients of this lifesaving program, should not be footing the bill of Democrats’ radical policies. Instead of imposing cuts on Medicare, my bill requires any sequestration to impact wasteful spending programs in the ARP, such as the billions of dollars for the union pension bailout, state and local governments, closed schools, and foreign aid.”

Republican Study Committee Chair Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) said:

“When Congress passed the current version of PAYGO in 2009, Steny Hoyer, said the bill, “can't get us out of our fiscal hole, but it can keep us from digging it deeper.” He may have wrote that bill, but he was dead wrong.

H.R. 1868 won’t just dig us deeper into debt; it’s Democrats and Steny Hoyer’s attempt to blow the bottom out of the fiscal hole we’re in today. It will saddle my children and future taxpayers with an unprecedented $2 Trillion extra in debt, all to pay for Joe Biden’s unnecessary and partisan spending package.

I am proud to have worked with Rep. Byron Donalds on the RESCUE Act. This bill serves as a fiscally responsible alternative to H.R. 1868 by cutting the 91% of the Biden bailout that’s unrelated to COVID-19 and ensuring that Medicare isn’t cut, and our debt doesn’t explode to fund these liberal pet projects.”

Garrett Bess, Vice President of Government Relations and Communications, Heritage Action for America said:

"The American Rescue plan will throw 2 trillion dollars in debt on the shoulders of our children and grandchildren. Rather than operating on a blank check like the Left, Congressman Donalds' bill goes after the wasteful spending, liberal pet projects, and non-COVID programs to ensure our children don't have to bear this burden. Heritage Actions applauds Congressman Donalds for this important legislation and encourages members of Congress to support it."

Original cosponsors include: Republican Study Committee Chair Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Reps. Norman (R-SC) and Mann (R-KS).

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