Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
WASHINGTON—As the United States Senate considers an additional COVID-19 aid package, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), known as the Senate’s leading foe against government waste, is working to block spending of Iowa taxpayer dollars on wasteful items and projects.
Ernst plans to offer an amendment to the legislation to ensure any new funds are not used to pay for irrigations systems at golf courses, turf football fields, sea urchin hatcheries, marching bands, crack smoking kits, and other unrelated projects, as has been done in the past.
“The federal government has doled out trillions of dollars in ‘COVID-19 spending,’ often with little oversight and transparency, and politicians across the country have abused this money to fund unrelated pet projects on everything from golf course maintenance to marching bands and crack kits. While emergency spending at the beginning of this pandemic was necessary to protect the health, safety, and economic security of the American people, Washington wouldn’t need additional money if billions of dollars hadn’t been wasted on items that were completely unrelated to the pandemic. This effort will protect Iowa taxpayer dollars and ensure federal money is being spent responsibly,” said Senator Ernst.
Ernst’s amendment will prohibit COVID–19 relief funds made available from being spent on unrelated, wasteful projects that have no direct connection to the COVID–19 pandemic and were previously funded by other Acts, including:
A State’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup
Luxury hotels
Operational facility funding for the 2022 World Games
Golf course or cemetery irrigation system upgrades
Paying off financial debts of institutions, universities, or nonprofits
Supplier diversity programs
Immigrant memorial monument construction or remodeling
Boathouse construction
Council on Aging building remodeling
Aquarium maintenance
Sound barrier walls
Art institute upgrades
Marine genomics institutes
Creative hubs
Basketball hall of fame
Art festivals
Municipal anniversary celebrations
Stimulus payments to deceased people
New turf for athletic fields
Floor polishing machines
Commissary snacks
Disposable sporks
Firearm simulators
Advertising agencies
Weed eaters
Lawn mowers
Tractors
Auto repairs
Horse feed
Golf course construction
State-of-the-art sports performance and media complexes
Tennis court upgrades
Locker room upgrades
Baseball field drainage systems
Sea urchin hatcheries
The planting and growing of trees
Walkways at zoos
Fire hydrants and trash cans
Water infrastructure
University sports facilities
Crack smoking kits
Snowmaking machinery
Marching bands
Swag bags
For text of the amendment, click here.
In her December 2021 Squeal Award, Ernst highlighted unrelated projects funded by the CARES Act and called out the Department of Treasury for failing to properly police those who were improperly spending taxpayer dollars.
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