<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Open Sans";}
/* Style Definitions */
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.PlainTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text";
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5347in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D715D4.DE713490" alt="Graphical user interface, application
Description automatically generated"></span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">March 10, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">More foolish logic in Democrats’ COVID-19 relief plan penalizes responsible states like Idaho<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">By Governor Brad Little<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Democrats in Washington, D.C., are actively working to saddle your grandchildren with unprecedented levels of debt to bail out states that have not operated responsibly before
or during the pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">The latest round of foolish logic in the Democrats’ COVID-19 relief plans would punish responsible states like Idaho for pursuing tax cuts for our citizens!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">First, their plan gives disproportionately more direct aid to states that have kept people out of work and entered the pandemic with poorly performing economies and botched
state budgets. The move comes at the expense of Idaho, which has low unemployment, few restrictions, a strong economy, and a solvent state budget. The plan siphons a quarter of a billion dollars away from Idaho and gives it to states on lockdown, such as California,
New York, Illinois, and others.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Then, their package includes a multibillion-dollar bailout for private pension funds that have been mismanaged for decades. The move comes at the expense of Idaho, which
has one of the strongest state pension funds in the nation, thanks to prudent management.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Now, under the bill, Idaho would potentially subsidize poorly managed states simply because we are using our record budget surplus to pursue historic tax relief for our citizens.
Language in the federal bill is unclear, and one interpretation </span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-to-states-no-new-tax-cuts-11615333751"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">could prohibit states from pursuing tax relief through 2024</span></a><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">.
We achieved our record budget surplus after years of responsible, conservative governing and quick action during the pandemic, and our surplus should be returned to Idahoans as I proposed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">What incentive do states have to do the right thing when they get bailed out for doing the wrong thing?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Unlike these states, Idaho is in a position to cut taxes in a middle of a pandemic. We have limited spending. We have cut red tape and earned our status as the least regulated
state in the nation. We rank among the most financially solvent states because of our rainy-day fund levels, solvent state pension, and strong Unemployment Insurance Fund balance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Idaho has taken a balanced, measured approach in our pandemic response. We have managed to prevent a crisis in our hospitals while keeping businesses, schools, and churches
open longer than almost every other state. We directed most of our federal relief funds in direct support of Idaho citizens and businesses. We are a leading state for our share of vaccine doses administered.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Other states chose to lockdown, hurting workers, students, and families. Meanwhile, their failed policies are not reducing COVID-19 spread. Idaho, on the other hand, continues
to see declining COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations, while staying open.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Simply put, any future federal relief funds directed to states should be allocated fairly. We know the debt is mortgaged from our grandkids, and I will push to use those
funds to directly support them through long-range investments in education, broadband, and water infrastructure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Idaho’s congressional delegation and I will continue to keep the pressure on Congress and the Biden Administration to do what’s right for future generations, and not use
our grandkids’ futures for political payback to irresponsible states.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">509 words</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>