Miller-Meeks Statement on Reconciliation Package

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, February 27th, 2021, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) released the following statement after voting NO on H.R. 1319, the budget reconciliation package.

“I am disappointed that all Republican amendments, including Rep. Feenstra’s bipartisan derecho disaster relief amendment, were blocked from this $1.9 trillion bill. With almost $1 trillion of previous bipartisan funding packages remaining unspent and now over a trillion in new funds only tangentially related to the COVID pandemic; it is unacceptable that less than 1/2 of 1% of the total funds in this bill will go to fund local and state public health workers. Additionally, roughly 9% of the funds are going to vaccines, testing, and contact tracing, which is simply not enough.

Across Iowa’s 99 counties, local public health officials are intelligent, experienced, and capable to dispense vaccines in a rapid and efficient process. Acknowledging the tremendous work that our state and local public health workforce does on a daily basis and FUNDING their efforts directly down to the community level with non-competitive local public health grants will go a long way towards defeating this virus and get America back on its feet.”

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