(Washington, DC) - Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA), Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, today issued a statement regarding the House Democrats’ $825 billion economic stimulus bill.  Herger’s comments follow below:

“I'm concerned that House Democrats have put forth a plan that is long on spending and short on real economic stimulus.  It will add nearly a trillion dollars to the already extraordinarily high national debt.  Even more, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has reported that most of the money won’t be spent in the first two years, meaning that it would largely fail to achieve its fundamental purpose of stimulating the economy in the short term. 

“Instead of more wasteful government spending of money borrowed on the backs of our children, we need to pursue fast-acting tax relief that will help spur economic growth and create jobs quickly by creating incentives to work and invest.  We cannot borrow and spend our way out of our economic problems.  I will continue to stand with the American taxpayer and urge House Democrats to take up a stimulus bill that centers on pro-growth tax relief for middle-class Americans and small businesses.”