Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said President Biden’s American Rescue Plan should not be called “COVID relief” after examining his local newspaper’s reporting of where funds will go.
“My weekly hometown newspaper describes how local officials plan to spend the infusion of 'COVID relief' from the $1.9 trillion non-COVID spending spree. ‘Pay raises for [government] department heads, road pavements, recreation and parks, affordable housing and libraries,’” Fleischer tweeted Sunday, accompanied by photos of a story from the Record-Review, which is based out of New York.
In the story, Bedford Town Supervisor MaryAnn Carr highlights that some of the funds will be used to provide raises to "our deserving department heads, who have worked so hard during the pandemic," among other uses.
Fleischer said the phrase “COVID relief” should not be used to describe the package, adding that local taxpayers should foot the bill for local initiatives.
“No matter what anyone thinks of how worthy these programs are, please don’t call it ‘COVID relief’. And none of it should be paid for by taxpayers who don’t live here. Local needs should be aligned with local taxes. If it’s worth paying for, local residents should pay the tax,” he wrote.
Biden signed the $1.9 trillion bill into law last Thursday, and individual $1,400 checks are slated to begin hitting people's bank accounts this week.
"It's critical to demonstrate that government can function, can function and deliver prosperity, security, and opportunity for the people of this country," Biden said Friday.