Nearly Half of COVID-19 Relief Package Being Diverted to Non-Pandemic Priorities: Think Tank

(R to L) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) hold a news conference unveiling House Democrats' new infrastructure framework at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 29, 2020. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Committee for Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) said in their policy analysis of the House’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, details of the legislation indicate a trend of funds being rerouted to non-pandemic priorities, which are unrelated to providing relief.

“The goal of COVID relief is to end the pandemic, protect incomes, and support the economic recovery. The House bill not only spends far more than is needed to achieve these goals but also puts too many of these plentiful dollars in the wrong places,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the CRFB, in a statement Wednesday.