Nearly $100 billion of money allocated to help state and local governments through the COVID-19 pandemic remains unspent.

That's the conclusion of a report published this week by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, passed soon after President Joe Biden took office, allocated $1.9 trillion intended to speed up the nation's recovery from the pandemic. That total included $350 billion for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), a U.S. Treasury Department program that awarded grants to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments.

"Most ($325.5 billion) of the $350 billion" went to "states, the District of Columbia, and local governments," according to the GAO report. "SLFRF recipients have until December 31, 2024, to obligate their SLFRF awards and generally have until December 31, 2026, to spend their awards." Of that amount, D.C. and state governments received $195.8 billion.