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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Scott Fitzgerald stated on February 27, 2021 in a press release: “More than 91% of the spending in this $1.9 trillion package is not used for pandemic relief.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" mostly-false/6a6ef6075c162fdccf5eb960e683dcd1.jpg.\\") ![\\"barely- true\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") * Health Care * Public Health * Wisconsin * Coronavirus * Scott Fitzgerald ![\\"Scott](\\" Scott Fitzgerald warms up the crowd before President Donald Trump arrives to speak to supporters at at a Make America Great Again Event in Waukesha on Oct. 24, 2020 (Rick Wood/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) ![\\"Eric](\\" mug_small/f8ec7291d825b9e6d54a4e23eef2704c.jpg\\"/) By Eric Litke March 1, 2021 # Fitzgerald overstates claim on pork in COVID-19 relief bill #### If Your Time is short * About 9% of the American Rescue Plan funding is slated for direct COVID-19 intervention such as vaccines and testing. * But the vast majority is related to pandemic relief, 85% by the calculations of one nonpartisan group. That includes $1,400 stimulus payments, expanded unemployment, school aid and an array of other specific earmarks. * However, the bill also contains an array of policies without any link to the pandemic, such as a minimum wage increase, pension reform and several local transportation projects. See the sources for this fact-check The American Rescue Plan — the signature initiative thus far in President Joe Biden’s tenure — has passed the U.S. House, sparking renewed debate over what exactly is in the $1.9 trillion package. Democrats are presenting the mammoth bill as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 500,000 lives and disrupted business, schooling and personal lives on every conceivable level. Republicans say it’s a pork-stuffed wish list that’s being opportunistically rammed through a Democratic-controlled Congress. Many Wisconsin Republicans seized on one particular number in attacking the plan: * U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald in a statement: \"More than 91% of the spending in this $1.9 trillion package is not used for pandemic relief.\" * U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher on Twitter: \"9% of the $1.9 trillion the ‘American Rescue Plan’ spends goes to actually fighting the Coronavirus.\" * U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman on Twitter: \"The public has been told that today’s #BidenBailoutBill is a #COVID19 relief bill. Only 9% goes toward COVID.\" * Former Gov. Scott Walker on Facebook: \"Stop the Pelosi Payoff as only 9% of the bill is for COVID health-related relief.\" We’re going to focus on Fitzgerald, who makes the broadest claim in the group. Is it true that the initiative billed as a COVID \"relief\" bill directs hardly any funding in that direction? The bill The analysis here examines the House version of the plan, which still must pass the Senate before it could head to Biden’s desk to be signed into law. The Senate could make changes — notably it is expected to drop efforts to increase the minimum wage — which would bounce it back to the House. Fitzgerald’s office didn’t immediately respond to our request for evidence of his claim, but we have plenty of information from outside sources to examine it. To be sure, the American Rescue Plan includes many measures unrelated to COVID-19. PolitiFact National rated Mostly True a claim from conservative Stand for America that the bill contains unrelated projects. Examples cited in that fact check included a $1.5 million bridge connecting New York and Canada, a $100 million underground rail project in Silicon Valley, $480 million for Native American language preservation and maintenance and $50 million in environmental justice grants. The bill would also raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and change pension funding rules. All told, about 15% of the proposal goes to \"long-standing policy priorities that are not directly related to the current crisis,\" said the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization formed to educate the public on federal budget issues. On the flip side, the 9% figure is roughly in line with the amount of money going to direct COVID-19 intervention. In a fact check confirming about 1% is allotted to vaccinations, PolitiFact National found between $100 billion and $160 billion goes to direct intervention, depending on whether one includes items like $10 billion in medical supplies and $24 billion in child care for essential workers, as the White House does in arriving at the larger figure. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Jeffrey Barke stated on August 23, 2024 in an Instagram post Food and Drug Administration approval for updated COVID-19 vaccines requires a public health emergency declaration. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • August 27, 2024 That’s 4.5% to 8.5% of the total $1.9 trillion total. But a long list of other initiatives are clearly related to the pandemic, according to a breakdown by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. About 22% of the total bill comes from the $422 billion set aside for $1,400-per-person stimulus checks. Another 13% ($246 billion) is for extending additional unemployment funding of $400 per week. A combined 12% is going to the following: * Subsidized COBRA for laid-off workers * Affordable Care Act subsidies for the next two years * Expanded nutrition assistance to replace school lunch programs during the pandemic * Funding for testing and contact tracing * Disaster Relief Fund increases and covering COVID-related funeral expenses * Grants to airlines and contractors to freeze layoffs through September * Defense Production Act funding for medical supplies * Grants for restaurants and bars that have lost revenue in the pandemic * Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance grants of up to $10,000 per business. It’s hard to describe anything on that list as unrelated to the pandemic and its economic fallout. Another $519 billion — 27% of the total — is going to state and local governments and schools, much of which will make up losses related to the pandemic and spur school re-opening. Republicans note much of the school funding, however, won’t be spent immediately. Our ruling Fitzgerald said, \"More than 91% of the spending in this $1.9 trillion package is not used for pandemic relief.\" Somewhere around 9% of the American Rescue Plan is going to direct disease containment measures such as vaccines, testing and tracing, and other public health initiatives. There’s room for debate over exactly how much of the $1.9 trillion is related to the pandemic. Surely not all of it. But it’s clear the amount going toward pandemic relief is far above 9%. One nonpartisan group identified 85% of the spending as being related to the current crisis. A closer look at the individual spending categories confirms, at minimum, that a majority of the spending goes to address the health and economic fallout of the pandemic. PolitiFact North Carolina rated Half True a claim from U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., that only 9% of the bill was going to COVID, and 91% wasn’t COVID- related. Budd got some credit for referencing 9% in a way consistent with the portion used for direct funding, and there’s a case \"COVID-related\" could reference only direct spending. But Fitzgerald is farther off in flatly asserting 91% didn’t go toward pandemic relief. That’s a broad claim that badly misstates the figure he’s trying to reference, that 91% didn’t go toward direct COVID-19 intervention. We rate his claim Mostly False. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Scott Fitzgerald, Congressman Fitzgerald Votes No on Pelosi’s $1.9 Trillion Payout, Feb. 27, 2021 PolitiFact National, Fact-checking whether Democrats’ ‘wish list’ is in $1.9 trillion relief bill, Feb. 26, 2021 PolitiFact National, How much goes to COVID-19 vaccines in the stimulus bill?, Feb. 16, 2021 PolitiFact North Carolina, Budd says 9% of stimulus targets COVID, the rest is \'not even\' related, March 1, 2021 The Washington Post, What’s in the House’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan, Feb. 27, 2021 Newsweek, Fact Check: Is Only 9% of Joe Biden\'s COVID Stimulus Plan Going to Public Health?, Feb. 18, 2021 The White House, President Biden Announces American Rescue Plan, Jan. 20, 2021 Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, \"What\'s in the $1.9 Trillion House COVID Relief Bill?\", Feb. 18, 2021 Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Four Key Elements of the American Rescue Plan, Feb. 24, 2021 Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, COVID Relief Bill Losing Focus as Details Emerge, Feb. 17, 2021 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Eric Litke slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" ![](\\" Mark Pocan stated on February 12, 2021 in a tweet: Ron Johnson didn’t “show up” for a day of impeachment hearings. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • February 16, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on February 15, 2021 in a radio interview: Says Jan. 6 Capitol riot “didn’t seem like an armed insurrection.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • February 15, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Dan O\'Donnell stated on February 3, 2021 in in a commentary: November election data shows a “stunning anomaly in the rejection rate of absentee ballots.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Eric Litke • February 12, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Mark Born stated on March 21, 2021 in a TV appearance: “Private insurance gives … better coverage” than people would get under a Medicaid expansion. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Eric Litke • April 21, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Janet Bewley stated on March 28, 2021 in TV interview: Says Republican lawmakers delayed COVID-19 testing ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • April 16, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tony Evers stated on March 30, 2021 in Twitter: “It took the Legislature nearly 300 days to act on a (COVID-19) bill during this pandemic.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • April 2, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Shelley Grogan stated on March 29, 2021 in a radio ad: Judge Jeff Davis \"spent years defending a convicted cop killer\" and \"tried to get him off the hook.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 30, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" James Edming stated on March 23, 2021 in a speech: “You can’t tell me they can (develop a safe vaccine) in eight to 10 months. Or a year. It takes more time than that.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 26, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on March 20, 2021 in a speech: “There was no violence on the Senate side, in terms of the chamber.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 23, 2021 ![](\\" sen-stroebel/626cbc5b71c026c4147c955b46d1e90a.jpg\\") ![](\\" sen-stroebel/43141e5e308588b580466ad546acd45c.jpg\\") Duey Stroebel stated on March 7, 2021 in a TV interview: \"We’ve had more voter turnout since voter ID was passed than ever before.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 19, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on March 10, 2021 in a Facebook post: Diesel prices jumped from $1.69 to $3.19 since Biden took office, and the president is to blame. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 17, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on March 4, 2021 in in various forums: On passing high-dollar legislation with no time to read it. ![\\"full-flop\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"full-flop\\"](\\" flop.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 11, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Gordon Hintz stated on February 23, 2021 in a speech: Republicans are “trying to create a fake unemployment insurance crisis.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Eric Litke • March 4, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Scott Fitzgerald stated on February 27, 2021 in a press release: “More than 91% of the spending in this $1.9 trillion package is not used for pandemic relief.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 1, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Sarah Godlewski stated on February 6, 2021 in a tweet: “On average, 17% of a family’s income goes towards child care in Wisconsin.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • February 23, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Mark Pocan stated on February 12, 2021 in a tweet: Ron Johnson didn’t “show up” for a day of impeachment hearings. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • February 16, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on February 15, 2021 in a radio interview: Says Jan. 6 Capitol riot “didn’t seem like an armed insurrection.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • February 15, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Dan O\'Donnell stated on February 3, 2021 in in a commentary: November election data shows a “stunning anomaly in the rejection rate of absentee ballots.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Eric Litke • February 12, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Mark Born stated on March 21, 2021 in a TV appearance: “Private insurance gives … better coverage” than people would get under a Medicaid expansion. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Eric Litke • April 21, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Janet Bewley stated on March 28, 2021 in TV interview: Says Republican lawmakers delayed COVID-19 testing ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • April 16, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tony Evers stated on March 30, 2021 in Twitter: “It took the Legislature nearly 300 days to act on a (COVID-19) bill during this pandemic.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • April 2, 2021 ### Fitzgerald overstates claim on pork in COVID-19 relief bill * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 21, 2024 in a video: Sen. JD Vance admitted he has a ‘rent-a-dog’ from the Trump campaign to make him “seem like a dog person.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Samantha Putterman • September 22, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 20, 2024 in an X post: First lady Jill Biden led a Cabinet meeting for President Joe Biden and her signature appears on presidential stationery. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Samantha Putterman • September 21, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" TikTok posts stated on September 19, 2024 in a video: Video claims to show Donald Trump in an interview with Diddy ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • September 20, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 18, 2024 in X posts: “iPhones exploding in Lebanon blowing up random people.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 20, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" TikTok posts stated on September 18, 2024 in a TikTok video: “Attorney General Merrick Garland just vetoed charging Ryan Routh with attempted assassination” of Donald Trump. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 20, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 14, 2024 in a Facebook post: \"Taylor Swift unexpectedly lost a $125 million brand contract after a massive advertising campaign” endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Maria Briceño • September 20, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 12, 2024 in una publicación en Facebook: “Portugal lanza monedas de 7 euros para honrar al legendario futbolista Cristiano Ronaldo”. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Marta Campabadal Graus • September 20, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 12, 2024 in a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina: Former President Donald Trump “started out with $400 million on a silver platter and then filed for bankruptcy six times.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 20, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 15, 2024 in posts: Ryan Routh\'s Instagram bio says he is a \"proud LGBTQ+ member\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Grace Abels • September 20, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 17, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Chiefs\' Coach Andy Reid criticizes Taylor Swift: ‘You’re not a good role model.’” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 20, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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More than 91 of the spending in this 19 trillion package is not used for pandemic relief