July 29, 2021

U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator,

You will soon be considering H.R. 3684.  This bill authorizes than $1.2 trillion, with only $500 billion for roads, bridges, and other traditional infrastructure projects.  The price tag for this legislation is more than twice the cost of the most recent highway bill.  More than $1 trillion remains unspent from COVID-19 “relief” bills, and the $350 billion provided for state and local governments under the American Rescue Plan can be and is already being used for infrastructure.  On behalf of more than one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to oppose H.R. 3684.

Consumers face the highest level of inflation in decades, with increased prices at the gas pumps and grocery registers, and the emergence of the Covid-19 delta variant has created even more economic uncertainty.  If Congress adds $1.2 trillion in spending on infrastructure, the economy recovery will continue to slow, and future generations will be left paying for this increased spending through higher taxes and higher prices well into the future.  Instead of more government spending, Congress should be reducing the size and scope of the federal government by implementing spending caps, budget reforms, and cutting wasteful and duplicative spending. 

H.R. 3684 also opens the door for passage of a $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” bill, which will bring total spending since the beginning of the pandemic to well over $11 trillion.  There are no details about how the combined $4.7 trillion infrastructure bills will be paid for, but there is no doubt that everyone will be forced to pay higher taxes at a time when the economy is still recovering from the pandemic, and second quarter GDP grew at a lower rate than expected.

While most Americans agree that the nation’s roads and bridges are in need of repair, they do not want unrelated and unnecessary expenditures added to any infrastructure bill.  H.R. 3684 is a massive spending bill disguised as an infrastructure bill, and the risks and costs far outweigh any benefits.  For these reasons, I urge you to oppose passage H.R. 3684.  All votes related to H.R. 3684 may be among those considered for CCAGW’s 2021 Congressional Ratings.

Sincerely,

Tom Schatz 
President 
CCAGW 

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