Democrats Block Wagner Amendments To House COVID Relief Legislation

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the House Suburban Caucus, released the following statement after House Democrats blocked three of her amendments to H.R. 1319:

"I submitted three amendments to this legislation to ensure that pandemic relief funding is targeted directly to those in need due to the pandemic, and limited in scope so taxpayer dollars are used judiciously during this emergency. My amendments would provide specific funding to veteran and women-owned businesses and also help businesses reopen by focusing funding to ensure our communities can more easily access vaccines. The fact that Democrats would strike even these commonsense amendments down shows how partisan this process has become, a disappointing fact during a national crisis."

Background

Wagner Amendment #1: This amendment would direct funds focused on getting vaccines into communities so businesses can reopen.

Wagner Amendment #2: This amendment would return any unspent funds to the general fund 6 months after the end of the national emergency.

Wagner Amendment #3: This amendment would provide funding for women- and veteran-owned businesses.