The bill includes a $1,400 stimulus relief check for Americans financially struggling during the pandemic.
All four of Arizona’s congressional Republicans voted against a COVID-19 relief bill Wednesday that includes $1,400 in immediate financial relief for millions of Arizonans.
The $1.9 trillion bill also includes billions of dollars in funding for vaccines and testing, emergency rental assistance, and to ensure that schools reopen safely.
The bill ultimately passed the House of Representatives in a 220-211 vote Wednesday, with no Republicans voting in support. All five of Arizona’s congressional Democrats voted for the relief bill.
The $1,400 stimulus check included in the package will go to any American making $75,000 or less, or married couples making under $150,000—the same criteria for last year’s stimulus relief. More than 3 million Arizona households will be eligible to receive the payment, according to the Congressional Research Service.
That didn’t stop Republican Reps. Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, Debbie Lesko, and David Schweikert from voting against the bill on Wednesday.
The Republican lawmakers’ reasons for voting no ranged from being critical of the bill’s spending to spreading false claims about how much money would be allocated toward the pandemic.
“Democrats are sending a one-time check, increasing interest rates, and crushing hard-working Americans’ futures,” Schweikert wrote on Twitter Wednesday.
Three of the Republican representatives, Biggs, Gosar, and Schweikert, also voted against the third COVID-19 relief bill in December.
President Joe Biden signed the bill into law Thursday.
Lorraine Longhi is a reporter for The Copper Courier. She is a native of the Southwest and has lived in Phoenix since 2006. A graduate of ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, she previously worked for The Arizona Republic, covering city government, education, and the impact of statewide decisions.
