The Senate voted to waste more of your money this week

Aug 13, 2021 by AFP

The Senate on Tuesday voted 69-30 to pass a $1.2 trillion “infrastructure” package.

If some of these senators figured that voting for the “bipartisan” legislation could forestall another, costlier bill, they were dead wrong.

The very next day, the Senate voted to approve a partisan budget blueprint for a $3.5 trillion package — whose real cost likely exceeds $5 trillion — spearheaded by Senator Bernie Sanders.

These so-called “infrastructure” proposals are a disaster for the American people.

They would:

Balloon our spending and debt.
Give government greater control over our health care.
Devote relatively little to actual roads and bridges.
Raise hefty taxes on the American people.
Fund portions of the Green New Deal.

These plans are also riddled with corporate welfare, including:

$64 billion for broadband — that is, government-funded networks that are typically low-quality, over budget, and behind technologically.
$7.5 billion in handouts to the electric vehicle industry.
$3.5 billion to bail out the insolvent National Flood Insurance Program.

Activists gather in Ohio at an End Washington Waste event to urge lawmakers to reject Washington's "infrastructure" bill

Activists gather at an End Washington Waste event in Ohio in July to urge their lawmakers to reject wasteful spending.

How is Americans for Prosperity holding lawmakers accountable?

Last week, Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips suggested that,

“Washington should absolutely change the way we maintain and modernize infrastructure, but that requires meaningful reforms to clear barriers, streamline approvals and spend smarter – little of which is included in these monstrosities.”

So, what happens now?

As Phillips explained in a recent letter, “Rest assured that Americans for Prosperity will hold accountable lawmakers of both parties who voted for this awful bill.”

To that end, Americans for Prosperity’s seven-figure campaign, “End Washington Waste: Stop the Spending Spree” has led to more than 1.5 million letters to elected officials — more than any grassroots effort in the organization’s history — urging them to reject these bad spending packages.

In addition, over 350 Americans for Prosperity events around the country – with parents, entrepreneurs, and workers — have signaled to Congress that many Americans are tired of outrageous levels of spending and want a better way forward.

Phillips is also traveling the country, speaking to state chapters and activists about why Congress must reject this spending spree.

AFP President Tim Phillips talks to activists at end End Washington Waste event in July

AFP President Tim Phillips speaks with two activists at an End Washington Waste event in Kansas in July.

How you can get involved

Americans for Prosperity offers a different approach, a way to maintain our critical infrastructure and practice responsible budgeting. These strategies include:

Preserving federal dollars for targeted construction projects of a national priority.
Ending the practice of spending gas tax revenues on non-highway projects.
Unleashing private investment in infrastructure assets.
Returning power and responsibility to the states wherever possible.
Overhauling the regulatory and permitting system to modernize infrastructure reviews and reduce project costs.
Eliminating costly and unfair labor restrictions.

But for Congress to even consider these measures, lawmakers need to know you care. You can reach out to them, urging them to reject these bad deals and support Americans for Prosperity’s proposals.

You can also call the Capitol switchboard at 202-410-2685 to tell them what you think about their vote.