Mo Brooks supports bipartisan bill aimed at providing flexibility on spending COVID funds

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Mo Brooks

Congressman Mo Brooks announced that he has cosponsored H.R. 5735, a bipartisan bill that aims to make various infrastructure investments eligible for payment with unspent COVID-19 relief funds. The State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act, was sponsored by Reps. Dusty Johnson and Carolyn Bourdeaux. The U.S. Senate recently unanimously passed companion legislation.

According to the press release, the bill will give state and local officials additional flexibility and time to responsibly spend the remaining Covid-19 money. The American Rescue Plan Act and the original CARES Act relief package, Congress provided some flexibility for how funds could be spent, but most funds were not able to be used for infrastructure projects. The bill also includes a separate program designed to support larger bridges through a competitive grant program.

If enacted, this legislation would allow Alabama to use unspent coronavirus relief funds on much-needed infrastructure projects such as the I-10 Bridge. The bill has 144 House cosponsors.

Brooks stated, “I support giving states the flexibility to spend coronavirus funds as they see fit. State and local elected officials, not federal government bureaucrats, know what their communities need most. Alabama has several desperately-needed infrastructure projects, such as the I-10 Bridge in the Mobile Bay area, that are stalled due to a lack of funding. This bill could free up funds that would jumpstart those important projects.”

Rep. Bourdeaux commented that passing the bill will enhance economic growth for states.

“Thanks to our bipartisan infrastructure law, Georgia’s bridges are getting a significant investment over the next five years. This funding will help connect our communities, boost the local economy, and improve safety across Georgia. For growing suburbs like mine, this funding will help us address congestion and improve people’s daily commutes and mobility,” Bourdeaux stated.