Biden administration sitting on $1 trillion in unspent COVID-19 relief funds

From Washington Examiner.com (Feb. 10, 2021):

Before the Biden administration takes another $1.9 trillion out of the nation’s wallet for COVID-19 relief, fiscal hawks are urging the White House to first spent about $1 trillion in unspent previously approved virus money.

According to a Republican Study Committee tally, $4 trillion has already been appropriated for relief, and Biden’s plan would grow that 50%, an amount even GOP supporters of a big coronavirus package call too rich.

The government is sitting on about $1 trillion in unspent money. House leaders have asked the administration to identify that funding, but so far, the White House has refused.

“Unfortunately, the only ones who have those details are in the Biden administration, but they’re being tight-lipped,” said a GOP source.

That lack of transparency is just one of several issues dogging the new president and his team as they slowly get a vaccine out and try to deliver economic help to the ailing public.

What’s been delivered so far is an impressive list that has kept many afloat. The list from the RSC, chaired by Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, is based on an analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and includes:

• Direct aid to households: $1.29 trillion

— Unemployment insurance: $586 billion — Stimulus checks: $458 billion
— Rental assistance: $25 billion
— Testing and hospital visits: $13.6 billion

• Small business loans: $1.27 trillion

— PPP funds: $828 billion — 5.2 million businesses received loans

• State and local governments: $578 billion

— Law enforcement assistance: $848 million — Firefighters grants: $100 million
— Healthcare: $178 billion in grants to health providers
— Funding for pharmaceutical companies: $33.3 billion

• Vaccine rollout: $8.75 billion

• Education: $112.7 billion

— K-12: $68 billion — Higher education: $36.6 billion [source]