Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho and Senate Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon responded to a new report from the State Auditor that shows that more than $5 billion in pandemic relief funds remains unspent by the Murphy administration nearly two years after it was received:

Sen. Steven Oroho and Sen. Declan O’Scanlon responded to a State Auditor report that shows that more than $5 billion in pandemic relief funds remains unspent by the Murphy administration nearly two years after it was received. (©iStock)

“Senate Republicans have questioned for three years why the Murphy administration has shown absolutely no urgency in using billions of federal pandemic relief funds to help New Jersey families and businesses in a timely manner,” said Oroho (R-24). “The State Auditor’s latest report showing that more than $5 billion of American Rescue Plan funds remains unspent after two years confirms everything we’ve been saying.”

According to the report, just $1.1 billion of the $6.2 billion in American Rescue Plan funds received by New Jersey from the federal government on May 19, 2021 has been spent.

Senate Republicans offered a detailed plan for using the funds on April 11, 2021 when the state’s likely allocation was announced.

“In contrast with the Murphy administration’s failures, Senate Republicans offered a detailed plan to use relief funds efficiently and effectively to support small businesses, fix our broken unemployment and MVC computer systems, stop unnecessary tax increases, protect school funding, and help families in need,” said O’Scanlon (R-13). “Unfortunately, Trenton Democrats refused to listen and many serious problems that could have been addressed with these funds remain inexplicably unresolved.”