Representative Raúl Grijalva on the American Rescue Plan

The latest round of stimulus checks are just now hitting bank accounts. We spoke with Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva about the 1.9 trillion-dollar federal stimulus. 

The American Rescue Plan passed in the House with a vote of 220 to 211. Representative Grijalva was one of those who voted for the package. “The stimulus package had to be bold, it had to be large and it had to be an investment of resources for American workers, families to deal with the health crisis both on the vaccine side, and what I think is going to be an ongoing need, the testing side,” Grijalva said. All Republicans and one Democrat voted against the package.

“It is an infusion of money that is badly needed. Those that say that we can get through this without direct government supplement and support are wrong.”

Republicans have criticized the package, saying that so little of the money being spent is actually going to the COVID-19 pandemic response. Representative Grijalva argues the previous tax break that representatives on the other side of the aisle voted for didn’t help those who needed it the most.

“Those members voted for a $1.7 trillion tax cut that went primarily to the richest individuals and richest corporations in the country,” Grijalva said. “It was good to do that to a very select group of people and corporations but it’s not good to encourage child care and to make it available to working families. It’s not good to make sure that our schools are open and functional. It’s not good to have direct assistance to families that are hurting economically. It’s not good to keep evictions and the loss of homes through mortgage defaults in this country. Those, I think, are what is affecting the day-to-day American people. I don’t know how they can justify a 1.7 trillion tax cut that none of the working folk in this country actually saw. That’s hypocrisy there.”