December 11, 2021

President Biden was in the Show-Me-State this week attempting to convince Missourians to support his “Build Back Better” legislation. Despite its catchy name, this massive spending package would be a disaster for Missouri. Democrats claim the $2 trillion spending bill has “zero costs” although any thinking Missourian knows that this claim is outrageous. ...

Hardy Billington

President Biden was in the Show-Me-State this week attempting to convince Missourians to support his “Build Back Better” legislation.

Despite its catchy name, this massive spending package would be a disaster for Missouri.

Democrats claim the $2 trillion spending bill has “zero costs” although any thinking Missourian knows that this claim is outrageous. I agree with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy who called the legislation “the single most reckless and irresponsible spending bill in our nation’s history.”

One of the costs of all this spending is significantly higher inflation. The Labor Department recently reported consumer prices have risen more than 6% from October 2020 to October 2021 — a 30-year high.

Inflation is a real tax and burden for all Missourians, but especially low and middle income earners and seniors on a fixed income. Democrats know all this, but they just don’t care as they continue to borrow and spend without concern for the future, especially the future of our children and grandchildren.

Congressional Budget Office says the bill could add $367 billion to the deficit over 10 years. A Manhattan Institute analysis shows that the true cost of the bill — along with the March stimulus bill, infrastructure bill and higher discretionary spending — is calculated to be $7.5 trillion over 10 years.

The legislation is a dream come true for progressives. For instance, it would end the requirement of a valid Social Security number to qualify for refundable child tax credits. This would extend the benefits to undocumented families — covering approximately 675,000 children. For a family with three young children, the fully refundable $10,800 child tax credit payment would exceed the entire average family income in several Central and South American countries, and thus encourage more illegal border crossings.

Diving into the bill finds huge tax breaks for Democrat millionaires and billionaires on the east coast and the west coast, while millions of middle income families will see their taxes increase.

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The good news for Missourians is that our U.S. senators have stood firm in opposing this dangerous and disastrous legislation.

A ruling made by a Cole County Circuit judge has effectively put a stop to mask mandates and quarantine orders around the state. The judge ruled in Robinson v. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services that several health department regulations are null and void. As a result, the Missouri Attorney General is notifying public health agencies and school districts about the ruling that requires them to stop enforcing mask mandates.

Attorney General Schmitt said, “I sent a letter to public health agencies and school districts across the state informing them of the decision and demanding they rescind and cease enforcement and publicizing of public health orders, mask mandates, quarantine orders, or other orders that were declared null and void by the recent decision.”

Schmitt added that his office will enforce the court’s order across the state.

Missouri continues to receive good news regarding its economic growth. The state budget director announced this week that the state saw a 19% increase in revenue in November. For November 2021, the state collected $965.5 million in general revenue compared to 2020 when the state collected $811.1 million.

Despite the uptick in revenue collections for November, the state remains slightly behind the pace it had for the previous fiscal year.

In total, the collections for the year are down 0.7% compared to the same point last year. By November of 2020 the state had pulled in $4.53 billion. This year to date the state has collected $4.5 billion.

May God bless and keep you and our great nation.

Hardy Billington represents District 152, which includes parts of Butler and Dunklin counties.

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