May 14, 2020

Senator Senator John Hoeven 338 Russell Senate Office Building 400 Russell House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510

Representative 1004 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Congressional Delegation,

I write to urge you to reject any legislation designed to bailout state lawmakers for the misguided spending and irresponsible decisions they made prior to the COVID-19 crisis. Because of strong fiscal leadership, our state has prioritized spending on the necessary roles of government and limiting our debt. Our citizens should not be held responsible for the poor decisions that were made by spendthrift legislators in other states like Illinois.

The federal government is already providing $150 billion to states. Additional funds would be a blatant example of federal lawmakers using a crisis to provide a fiscal benefit to bailout special interests for their past mistakes.

Many states had chronic fiscal problems prior to the current crisis. States that have spent lavishly, borrowed excessively, and ignored looming pension debt should not use the current crisis to shift the cost of those irresponsible policy decisions onto taxpayers in other states. Giving states federal bailout money allows them to escape accountability for their poor decisions and encourages them to continue their irresponsible spending behavior in the future.

North Dakota Illinois Total Population 762,062 12,671,821 Total State Budget Spending $5,889,000,000.00 $72,783,000,000.00 Per Capita Spending $7,727.72 $5,743.69 Bonded Obligations $2,490,183,000.00 $62,323,891,040.00 Per Capita Bonded Obligations $3,267.69 $4,918.31

Our system of government reserves certain authority and accountability to each of the states. Bailouts are a clear example of the federal government overstepping its authority, and state lawmakers abdicating their responsibilities. It is incumbent on states to govern wisely and independently, both reaping the rewards of smart policy, and addressing the consequences of bad.

AFP-ND wants to work with our state legislators to find and implement policy solutions that will set up our state’s entrepreneurs, businesses, and residents for success when we can finally get back to work. However, a one-size-fits-all approach from Washington, D.C. is precisely the wrong approach for our state’s recovery after this crisis.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mike Fedorchak State Director Americans for Prosperity-North Dakota