President Biden has asked aloud what could be cut from his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, and Senate Republicans have an answer: Start by cutting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's $100-million-plus "Tunnel to nowhere." The relief package, which the House approved on a party-line vote on Saturday, includes money for phase-two drilling of a subway tunnel for the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in the Silicon Valley, near Mrs. Pelosi's district in California.
"An earmark to help cover the cost of Big Tech's subway construction costs has nothing to do with combatting COVID-19," said Steve Kelly, spokesman for Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee.
Much of the debate has focused on a provision to raise the minimum wage to $15, although that proposal is likely to be dropped after the Senate parliamentarian ruled it's not relevant to the overall measure.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the House package lacks the bipartisan support of five previous pandemic relief bills.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, said the funding grew from $112 million to $140 million by the time the House passed the overall bill.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, Iowa Republican, said the tunnel is Mrs. Pelosi's "Pet project" and called it "Washington pork spending at its worst." Senate Republicans also note that the COVID-19 bill contains $1.5 million for a maintenance trust fund for the Seaway International Bridge in New York, pointing to the involvement of Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York.
"The bill contains all kinds of liberal spending on pet projects with no relationship to pandemic relief," Mr. McConnell said Monday on the Senate floor.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/mar/1/senate-gop-takes-aim-pelosis-tunnel-nowhere-schume/
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