December 1, 2021
Out of Touch: Michigan Democrat Tries to Spin $4B In Erroneous UIA Payments As Good for the Economy
Lansing, Mich., December 1, 2021 – Tuesday afternoon, the Senate and House Oversight Committees held a joint hearing on the Auditor General’s report that revealed Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) wasted nearly $4B on erroneous payments since March of 2020. ABC 74 reports:
“The Auditor General of Michigan, a governor-appointed office that audits each of the state’s agencies and departments, conducted a review at the request of state lawmakers of the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency’s performance during the pandemic. The investigation found it was the actions and inaction of the agency leaders that led to more than 347,000 claimants receiving funds they were not eligible for.”
State Rep. Julie Brixie (D-East Lansing) tried to spin the $3.9B taxpayer-funded blunder as a boon for the economy. WATCH:
As numerous lawmakers on the committee, including a Democrat, pointed out, Brixie’s comments had nothing to do with the purpose of the meeting. Instead, the shameless effort came off as a weak political maneuver to redirect the criticism Gretchen Whitmer and her administration face from concerned citizens and lawmakers.
“It is disturbing to see Gretchen Whitmer’s supporters in the legislature try to rewrite history for the sake of political expediency,” said Eric Ventimiglia, Executive Director for Michigan Rising Action. Ventimiglia continued, “Attempting to spin $4 billion in wasted taxpayer funds as a positive economic result is the reason Michigan Democrats have no credibility with hardworking families across our state.”