Cindy Axne, the 3rd U.S. representative to Iowa, the one-time Democrat of the state in Congress, has been scrutinized for her support for the White House’s $ 1.9 billion COVID-19 emergency rescue plan.
A digital advertisement paid for by the American Action Network, a conservative advocacy group for issues, recently urged voters in targeted congressional districts, including Axne’s, to ask their representatives to oppose the package before voting in February. the House is coming. 27.
The Fact Checker investigated three allegations made in the ad about the latest federal stimulus proposal, which the Senate began discussing seriously on Friday.
Analysis
Claim 1: This is a ‘blue state rescue’. ”
A review of an analysis by the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based think tank that studies state and federal tax policy, shows that 23 states with Republican control of the governor and legislature have nearly $ 121.4 billion would receive under the proposal, while 15 states and Washington DC, which is under democratic control, would receive about $ 130.1 billion. Eleven states with split control, where one political party controls the seat of the governor and another controls at least one chamber of the legislature, would receive about $ 6.4 billion.
(The fact checker excluded Nebraska, which has a non-partisan unicameral legislature, and used the data from the National Conference of State Party Legislators.)
Even adjusted for the population, the analysis shows that ‘blue’ states would receive more aid and receive an average of $ 1,278 per capita, while ‘red’ states would receive an average of $ 1,017 and split states would receive $ 1,041.
Republicans argue that taxpayers should not give dollars to blue states to ‘save’ them because of policies that, according to them, lead to high unemployment and sharp declines in income, or because of the history of budget mismanagement that puts them less in enable to deal with the pandemic. .
Ten blue states and Washington reported a loss of revenue in 2020 amid efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, as well as 13 red states and four divided states.
This bill, if passed, will send aid to all states, regardless of whether they have lost revenue. But the formula for allocating funding takes into account the share of each state in the country’s unemployed workers. The average unemployment rate is 5.03 percent for red states, 7.61 percent for blue states and Washington and 6.09 percent for divided states, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Is this a ‘lifeline’ for blue states?
On average, these governments have lost less revenue, but they have higher unemployment rates, and find most benefits in many accounts.
But many of these states include the country’s largest and most populous cities, such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, where there is usually a much higher cost of living than in rural areas. Urban provinces are also more racially and ethnically diverse, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes that minorities are more likely to contract and die from COVID-19.
The funds are not just for city and state coffers. It is aimed at keeping people employed and providing other services. Some red states and states that are under split control must also raise revenue gaps and will receive money from this account.
Grade: C
Claim 2: The proposal ‘do not reopen schools.’
The bill would provide nearly $ 128.6 billion to K-12 schools, available until September 30, 2023, for COVID-19 relief.
It provides funds for repairs and improvements to school facilities to enable schools to reduce the risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards, and for schools to address learning loss due to virtual learning. These include things like improving ventilation systems, providing sanitary supplies and promoting other public health protocols such as social distance and wearing mask in accordance with CDC guidance.
Republicans looked at funding the bill to meet the requirements for schools to return to full personal learning in the light of research showing improved learning outcomes and mental health when students learn in the classroom.
It is true that House Democrats in a party vote rejected an amendment banning K-12 schools whose teachers were vaccinated from receiving funds if they did not return to personal education. But the text of the bill states that funding is intended to ‘put schools in motion’.
Most students in the country are at least partially back in school, according to the available data. Burbio, a company nationwide that monitors the opening of school plans, found that by March 1, 44.7 percent of K-12 students went to school in person daily. Another 27.8 percent learned with personal and virtual instruction.
This bill does not have the accountability that the IDP amendment would provide, but it would get schools on the road.
Grade: C
Claim 3: The bill provides tax to illegal immigrants. ‘
The text of the bill states that individuals who are eligible to receive $ 1400 stimulus checks do not include a foreigner who is not a resident. ‘However, it also increases the suitability for dependents of other taxpayers, so that checks can go to mixed-status households with a parent who is an undocumented immigrant. During the unveiling of the proposal, the White House confirmed that families with mixed status receive stimulus money.
This proposal from the Biden government is similar to a proposal passed under the Trump administration. While the CARES law passed in March 2020 excluded mixed-immigration families, the $ 900 billion stimulus package signed by President Donald Trump shortly before he left office has a similar provision as in the U.S. rescue plan on dependents included.
Grade: B
Closure
The demands measured on the next COVID-19 incentive plan regarding funding for state and local governments and reopening of schools do not take into account the key context, leading to the overall grade to a C.
Criteria
The Fact Checker team checks the statements of a political candidate / official from Iowa or a national candidate / official about Iowa, or in advertisements that appear in our market.
Claims must be able to be confirmed independently.
We give statements from A to F based on accuracy and context.
If you see a claim you think you need, please email us at [email protected].
This fact checker was researched and written by Marissa Payne of The Gazette.
Images of digital ads paid for by American Action Network