The novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic moved fast, growing into both a health and economic crisis in the U.S. Amid calls for stimulus packages, bailouts, and legislation, where did the money go? TCS has seen this movie before — just after 9/11, during the 2008 financial crisis, in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, and in the 2017 hurricane season after Maria, Harvey, Irma and more. We built a tracker to follow the money. Follow along.
There are three ways to follow along – by issue area, a hyperlinked timeline, or a reverse chronological blog feed with most recent content first.
TIMELINE
February 3, 2023
First Oversight Hearing on Federal Pandemic Spending
March 11, 2022
Weekly Wastebasket: Congress Finally Finalizes FY22 Spending
March 9, 2022
Our Take: FY2022 Omnibus (Temporarily) Included the Seventh COVID-19 Supplemental
March 3, 2022
Our Take: Biden Administration Requests $22.5 Billion COVID-19 Emergency Supplemental
March 1, 2022
Podcast: Budget Watchdog, All Federal — Episode 17: SOTU (aka Super Bowl of Politics)
February 18, 2022
Weekly Wastebasket: What’s Going On
January 14, 2022
Weekly Wastebasket: Emergency Spending is Endemic
January 10, 2022
Letter: TCS Voices Concerns Over Potential $68 Billion COVID Relief Bill
December 24, 2021
September 7, 2021
Quick Take: Fueled by COVID-19, Agriculture Subsidies Reached Record High in 2020
March 26, 2021
Weekly Wastebasket: Overtaxed Agency
March 25, 2021
Quick Take: USDA Announces $14 billion in Pandemic Assistance
Analysis: COVID-19 and Agricultural Income Subsidies
March 19, 2021
In The News – Politifact: No, COVID-19 relief law doesn’t give federal workers a $21,000 bonus
March 9, 2021
Quick Take: $2 Trillion For What?
March 5, 2021
Weekly Wastebasket: COVID Relief and Common Sense Principles, the Sequel
Quick Take: Budget Watchdog AF, Episode 2 – HR22, American Rescue Plan Act 2021, and more
March 3, 2021
Analysis: Vaccines and Contact Tracing
Analysis: Child Tax Credit – “Temporary” Changes with Permanent Costs
Analysis: Food for Peace International Aid and USDA’s CCC
March 2, 2021
Analysis: Agriculture and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
March 1, 2021
Analysis: Restaurant Revitalization Fund
February 26, 2021
Weekly Wastebasket: COVID Relief and Common Sense Principles
Quick Take: Three Schools Get a Total of $73.5 Million; But Just These Three
February 25, 2021
Quick Take: Pollution Link to COVID-19 Public Health Outcomes
Analysis: Bridges And Trains And Museums, Oh My
Quick Take: Since When Does Spending in 4 ½ Years Qualify as Emergency Spending?
Quick Take: Are You a Veteran? No Copayments for You!
February 24, 2021
Analysis: Inspector General and Transparency/Oversight Funding
Analysis: Deficits Matter….In The Long Term
Analysis: Congress Must Apply Common Sense Principles to the American Recovery Act
February 1, 2021
Quick Take: What’s in the Proposed Senate Republican $618 Billion Counteroffer?
January 15, 2021
Analysis: CCC Charter Act: A Case Study in Congressional Abdication (Updated)
January 14, 2021
December 31, 2020
In The News – CSPAN: TCS President Steve Ellis on Coronavirus Aid and Federal Spending
December 28, 2020
Analysis: Better Tracing Money for Contracts and Contact Tracing
December 24, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Pandemic and Policy Annus Horribilis
Analysis: Simplification of Small Business Loan Forgiveness Application
Quick Take: What Is and Isn’t in the COVID-19 Relief Package
Analysis: Here’s Some News for News Organizations
Analysis: Grants for Shuttered Venue Operators
Analysis: No Loans for Lobbyists
Quick Take: Remove barriers for ag sector to thrive
December 22, 2020
Analysis: Senate Ag Republicans Get Their Groove Back
December 21, 2020
Statement on FY2021 Omnibus/COVID-19 Relief Package
Analysis: Special Interests 1, Common Sense 0
December 18, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: The Lame Duck TikTok
December 14, 2020
OpEd – The Hill: Liability shield will hurt the public and taxpayers
December 4, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Toxic for Taxpayers
December 3, 2020
Quick Take: The Trump Administration’s Mad Dash to Open up the Arctic to Drilling (Updated)
December 2, 2020
Quick Take: USDA projects government payments at historic levels
November 25, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Setting The Subsidy Table
November 19, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Watchdogging COVID-19 $$$
November 18, 2020
Statement: Fast Tracking Lease Sales in the Arctic Refuge
November 17, 2020
Quick Take: The Trump Administration’s Mad Dash to Open up the Arctic to Drilling
November 4, 2020
OpEd – Washington Times: Why drilling in the Arctic is a fool’s errand
November 1, 2020
October 30, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Post-Election To-Do List: Lead
October 19, 2020
In The News – Roll Call: Hit by pandemic, Amtrak is making cuts that may endure
October 15, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Questions for the Candidates
October 9, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: What’s Not In Your Wallet
October 1, 2020
In The News – Public News Service: Report – Taxpayers Lost $4B Due to Low Royalty, Lease Rates
September 26, 2020
In The News: Trump administration doling out billions to farmers before the election
September 25, 2020
Letter: Investigate the Pentagon’s Misuse of CARES Act Funds
September 24, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: We’re a Broken Record on Congressional Oversight of Federal Spending
In The News – Caspar Star Tribune: Taxpayer advocates call for oil and gas lease reform
September 22, 2020
September 18, 2020
In The News – Progressive Farmer: Groups Praise New Aid Package, But Some Also Seek More
September 10, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Enough Head Feints – Pass Responsible Pandemic Relief
In The News – FactCheck: Mnuchin Spins Pre-COVID Path to Debt Reduction
In The News – New York Times: Taxpayer, Conservation Groups Pressure U.S. to Halt Drilling Auctions
September 4, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: This Labor Day, Thank A Working Farmer
September 3, 2020
Analysis: USDA – Farm Subsidies at Highest Level in 20 Years
August 28, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: A Shield For Negligent Business
August 27, 2020
In The News – WLS-AM 890: Bailing out businesses will shift burden onto tax payers
In The News – Open The Government: Q & A with an accountability expert
August 25, 2020
August 21, 2020
Op-Ed – Roll Call: Blanket COVID-19 liability shield will cost taxpayers
Weekly Wastebasket: How Resilient Does The Industrial Base Need To Be?
August 18, 2020
Quick Take: USDA Opening the Treasury to Millionaire “Farmers”
August 17, 2020
In The News – Politico: Democrats fight to give ‘severely underfunded’ business rescue new life
August 14, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Optics Don’t Equal COVID-19 Assistance
August 10, 2020
August 7, 2020
Wastebasket: It’s Past Time To Get It Done
August 5, 2020
In The News – Bloomberg Government: Air Force Scores Jets on Wish List as Senate Spars Over Food Aid
August 3, 2020
July 30, 2020
Wastebasket: Heels of the HEALS Act
July 29, 2020
Analysis: Taxpayers Avoid Huge Losses from Federal Coal Royalty Relief
Analysis: Inspectors General Not Getting A Lot of Love
Quick Take: No strings attached aid for agriculture
July 28, 2020
Analysis – HEALS Act: How Much for the Pentagon?
Analysis – HEALS Act: Mysterious New “Resiliency Funds” for the Industrial Base
Analysis – HEALS Act: Remember, Defense Contractors are “Essential”
Analysis – HEALS Act: Ships and aircraft and missile defense, oh my!
July 24, 2020
In The News: Also getting PPP loans: Businesses where sales have boomed
July 21, 2020
In The News – Politico: Fraud concerns loom over move to forgive small business loans
July 20, 2020
Documents: The Third Report of the Congressional Oversight Commission
In The News – Wall Street Journal: Some Companies Got Both Government Contracts and PPP Loans
July 19, 2020
July 17, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: The Cross-Country TCS Road Trip
In The News – ESPN: Some, not all, coaches share colleges’ burden amid coronavirus pandemic
July 15, 2020
Quick Take: Update on the USDA’s COVID-19 Response
In The News – Politifact: Trump, lawmakers have consistently sidestepped the defense sequester
July 12, 2020
In The News – Pantagraph: More than 250 Bloomington-Normal businesses receive COVID aid
July 10, 2020
July 9, 2020
Statement: TCS’ Statement on the Paycheck Protection Program
Weekly Wastebasket: Lawmakers Are Behind On Budget
July 8, 2020
In The News – The Wall Street Journal: The Media’s PPP Potshots
In The News – The Fiscal Times: Who Got Big Bucks Through Small Business Rescue Program?
In The News – Spectrum News: Watchdog Groups Call for More Transparency on Coronavirus Relief
In The News – Washington Times: Politicians and pole dancers: Employers flock to coronavirus loans
In The News – BBC: Coronavirus: Moguls and lobbyists get millions in government aid
July 7, 2020
July 6, 2020
Letter: State Aid Principles Coalition Letter
July 2, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: A Pandemic Fourth
June 29, 2020
Analysis: Fact Sheet – CCC Charter Act, A Case In Congressional Abdication
June 25, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: The Camel and the Ag Pandemic Tent
Common Sense Conversations – June 2020
June 18, 2020
Documents: The Second Report of the Congressional Oversight Commission
June 16, 2020
Analysis: Planting Permanent Subsidies in Response to COVID-19
In The News – The Savannah Morning News: Hurricane season is upon us, and we must prepare now
June 13, 2020
June 12, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Hurricane Season Arrives Amid Pandemic
June 11, 2020
June 10, 2020
In The News – Roll Call: Outside groups press Risch to livestream Foreign Relations proceedings
June 9, 2020
Analysis: Primer on Inspectors General
June 5, 2020
Analysis: Delaying Oil and Gas Leasing is a Win for Taxpayers
June 4, 2020
May 28, 2020
Analysis: Agricultural Conservation and COVID-19 Assistance
May 26, 2020
May 22, 2020
In The News – Wyoming Public Radio: Requests for Oil and Gas Relief are Growing in Wyoming
May 21, 2020
In The News – Politico: Trump Administration Cuts Royalty Payments for Oil Companies
Weekly Wastebasket: Memorializing the Death of Checks and Balances
Analysis: No Relief for Taxpayers – BLM Fast-Tracking Royalty Giveaways
May 20, 2020
In The News – E&E: BLM Flooded With Royalty Relief Requests
May 19, 2020
Quick Take: Common Sense Conversations – COVID-19, IGs, Oversight, and more
May 18, 2020
Analysis: USDA and the CARES Act
Analysis: HEROES Act Directs More Payments for Agriculture
May 15, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: The HEROES Act Tries to Spend Our Way Out of this Pandemic
Analysis: Federal Taxpayer Costs of COVID-19 Response
May 13, 2020
Analysis: Division E – Continued Assistance to Unemployed Workers
Analysis: Division H – Veterans and Servicemembers Provisions
May 12, 2020
Analysis: The HEROES Act – At Least $1.5 Trillion in Emergency Spending
Analysis: The HEROES Act – Accountability and Government Operations
May 8, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: COVID-19 Response Dollars – Apple Of Their Eye
May 1, 2020
April 30, 2020
Letter: Urging Responsible Fiscal Discipline
April 23, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: More COVID-19 Funding, Won’t be the Last
April 21, 2020
Letter: Call for Transparency, Accountability, Good Government
April 17, 2020
Analysis: Big Ag and the CARES Act
April 15, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Doublespeak on the Big Oil Deal
April 14, 2020
Analysis: JCT’s Estimate on Revenue Effects of CARES Act
April 9, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Protect the Inspectors General from Politics, Because #OversightMatters
In The News – Bloomberg Government: Rush to Pass Virus Aid Bolsters Clout of Capitol Hill Leadership
April 8, 2020
April 6, 2020
In The News – Washington Post: Private equity angles for piece of stimulus windfall
Analysis: Dollar Figures from CARES For Various Agencies
Joint Letter: Common Sense Principles for COVID-19 Response
April 3, 2020
Weekly Wastebasket: Today’s Pandemic Response, Tomorrow’s Crony Capitalism?
In The News – USA Today: Why Boeing might not need a bailout despite coronavirus, 737 Max crises
April 1, 2020
In The News – Politifact: Are states in a bidding war over medical gear with the feds?
March 31, 2020
In The News – The Hill: Democrats, Trump set to battle over implementing $2T relief bill
In The News – Bloomberg Law: Defense workers pressured to defy virus and keep making weapons
March 30, 2020
In The News – Washington Journal/CSPAN: Stephen Ellis on Coronavirus Aid Legislation
In The News – Fortune: Stimulus funnels billions to health care for spending unrelated to COVID-19
In The News – WVTF/Virginia Public Radio: No coal industry tax break in COVID-19 relief bill
March 28, 2020
Analysis: Deeming All Defense Contracts “Essential” Will Be Costly
March 27, 2020
In The News – The New York Times: For farmers, stimulus bill means subsidies continue to flow
In The News – AP: Congress locks Trump oversight into $2.2 trillion package
Weekly Wastebasket: CARES Act Hits Finish Line
March 26, 2020
Analysis: Someone Remembered the Sunscreen … in the COVID-19 Stimulus Package
Analysis: The COVID-19 Stimulus Package – Long On Money, Short On Details
Analysis: 2020 Bailout Inspectors General Funding
In The News – WJLA/ABC: The $2 trillion stimulus package, broken down
In The News – Real Clear Politics: As job losses soar, will rescue package save the economy?
In The News – WJLA/ABC: Tracking trillions and sunscreen in coronavirus relief bill
Analysis: 2020 Bailout DHS Dollar Amounts
Analysis: 2020 Bailout Defense Program Funding
March 25, 2020
Quick Take: Agriculture in the time of COVID-19
In The News – The Washington Examiner: Coronavirus relief deal will become most expensive ever
March 24, 2020
OpEd – Morning Consult: Commonsense Principles for Coronavirus Disaster Response and Recovery
In The News – Reuters: U.S. holding slew of new drilling lease sales despite oil market slump
March 20, 2020
Wastebasket: Accountability and Oversight in the Time of COVID-19
Tracker: COVID-19 Stimulus Requests: Tracker by Industry
In The News – Roll Call: Defense Industry to Carry on in Face of Coronavirus
March 19, 2020
Analysis: A New Tracker and the Aerospace Industries’ Selfish Abuse of the COVID-19 Crisis
March 18, 2020
Letter: Principles for Coronavirus Disaster Response and Recovery
March 17, 2020
Analysis: Now is the Time to Press Pause On Oil and Gas Leasing
Quick Take: Possible COVID-19 Response and Stimulus Package
March 13, 2020
Wastebasket: Washington – Rise To The Occasion
March 12, 2020
In The News – Marketplace: The Trump administration considers ways to help the travel industry
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