Lankford calls for oversight of state, local stimulus funds

Lankford Demands Oversight of State, Local Funds in American Rescue Plan

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and all Senate Finance Committee Republicans request the Government and Accountability Office (GAO) provide a detailed accounting of the $350 billion of COVID relief funds appropriated to governments of states, localities, territories, and tribes under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The Senators wrote in their letter, “Unfortunately, ARPA, unlike the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, has no meaningful built-in nonpartisan oversight mechanism that allows for necessary Congressional oversight and there is lack of transparency on uses of the funds provided to various governments….Because of the lack of information and transparency on uses of and accounting for these federal funds, we request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) help to ensure there is proper oversight of at least $350 billion of ARPA funding and necessary accountability to Congress and the American people.”

Lankford continues to call for oversight of federal spending, especially unused “COVID relief” funds as Democrats continue to ask for more and more federal tax dollars. Lankford has said he will not support any additional “COVID relief” funding without an accounting of existing money sent to states. Lankford pushed for sunlight on trillions in federal funds spent in the name of “COVID relief” in a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on pandemic oversight.

You can read the letter here.