Republican Governors Have No Problem Spending the COVID Relief Money They Opposed

The ink had barely dried on the COVID relief package Democrats passed in the spring when some of the same Republicans who voted against the legislation began touting its benefits in their districts, an example of the party’s efforts to have it both ways—to reflexively bash Joe Biden and the Democrats while claiming credit for the popular parts of their agenda. Now, as they lambast the president for what they describe as “out-of-control spending,” they’re taking a similar tack: Decrying the American Rescue Plan and other initiatives in their attacks on Biden over inflation, even as they embrace the resources such plans have afforded.

As the New York Times reported Wednesday, Republican governors have made use of Biden’s COVID stimulus money, even as they condemn it in public remarks as a “giant handout.” “It would be spent somewhere other than South Dakota,” said Governor Kristi Noem, who previously suggested she would turn down the nearly one billion dollars in federal funding but has since made plans to put the money toward water projects, housing, and daycare in the state. “The debt would still be incurred by the country, and our people would still suffer the consequences of that spending.”

“Montanans are struggling with the Biden inflation tax, seeing their paychecks stretched thinner and thinner as inflation hits a high we haven’t seen in nearly four decades,” Governor Greg Gianforte said last week, after Consumer Price Index numbers showed inflation soaring by 6.8% in November over the previous year. “I urge President Biden and Democrats in D.C. to turn off the spigot of out-of-control spending and get inflation under control.” Per the Times, that spigot has poured about $906 million into Gianforte’s state, which has used the federal dollars for infrastructure projects and other measures.

This is not to suggest that these states do not deserve federal dollars or that governors critical of Biden shouldn’t be making use of their portions. Residents of these states should benefit from the COVID bailout. But it is, of course, hypocritical to rail against these so-called “handouts” while they stretch their hands out to the administration.

Inflation has emerged as a significant challenge for Biden, whose otherwise solid economic rebound has been nagged by high consumer prices. Much of the issue appears to be driven by demand and a disjointed supply chain. But the American Rescue Plan has, indeed, seemed to contribute to the overheated economy, and criticizing the policy is by no means out of bounds. Missing from the GOP broadsides, though, are the very real benefits of the legislation, which they’ve appeared willing to accept.

“I’ve had direct conversations with virtually all of the Republican governors or their top officials,” Gene Sperling, who is leading the Biden administration’s pandemic relief efforts, told the Times. “And to the one, they have been constructive, nonpolitical, nuts and bolts conversations about how they can best use their American Rescue Plan funds for things like broadband, schools, water and work force development in a way that meets the needs of their state.”

Republicans understandably turn to the government for assistance when their state needs it, as Kentucky Senator Rand Paul did in recently urging Biden to “move expeditiously to approve the appropriate resources our state” following the devastation from tornadoes; the president declared a federal disaster the next day. But as the Washington Post notes, the senator’s request “conjured memories of Paul’s own lengthy history of opposing congressional legislation written to address past disasters, including bills passed following hurricanes Sandy, Harvey and Maria directing billions of dollars of assistance to stricken Americans.” Paul told the paper that critics were distorting his record. “We should do all we can to help our Kentucky neighbors,” Rep. Eric Swalwell tweeted. “God be with them—they are hurting. But do not for one second forget that [Paul] has voted against helping most Americans most times they’re in need.”

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