House Debates $819 Billion Economic Stimulus Bill
On January 28, 2009, the full House of Representatives voted 244–188 to pass an $819 billion stimulus bill (H.R. 1). The bill is now pending consideration in the Senate. Congressman Platts voted “no.” In addition, Congressman Platts successfully offered an amendment to the bill prior to passage which is meant to better protect federal employees who report waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. A copy of his statement explaining his vote follows:
“Congress has a responsibility to work together on a bipartisan basis to address the economic crisis facing our country in a fiscally responsible manner that best protects American taxpayers, workers and small businesses. The $819 billion stimulus package passed today by the U.S. House of Representatives fails to achieve these important and worthy goals. As with the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street passed by Congress last fall, this legislation spends unprecedented amounts of taxpayer dollars with no measurable likelihood of truly stimulating America’s economy in the near term.
I voted against this bill because it will explode our national debt and fails to target federal spending on programs that have a proven record of job creation and economic development. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has chosen to turn a so-called ‘emergency stimulus’ bill into a massive spending package that funds countless new government programs that have little or no connection to economic stimulus. While many of these programs may be worthwhile, we should be considering them under the normal budget process, weigh them against other priorities, and pay for them without increasing the national debt by more than one trillion dollars.
I supported an alternative stimulus proposal that was narrowly focused on tax relief for individuals, families and small businesses; unemployment benefits; and infrastructure projects that could be implemented very quickly. This alternative would have provided an immediate stimulus to the economy, helping to create and save jobs without unduly burdening future generations with crushing levels of debt.
President Barack Obama deserves credit for reaching out to Congressional Republicans and listening to our ideas. But the American people should know that the President’s call for bipartisan cooperation has been blatantly ignored by Speaker Pelosi and House Democratic leadership who rushed this bill to passage with minimal Congressional review under the guise of stimulating the economy. While I was pleased that the bill included an amendment I sponsored adding whistleblower protections for federal employees who lawfully disclose waste, fraud and abuse—an issue I’ve advocated for several years—said amendment was one of only eleven amendments out of more than two hundred offered that were allowed to be considered on the House floor. The interests of the American people will be much better served if and when Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team heed President Obama’s call for bipartisanship in moving important legislation such as today’s economic stimulus bill through the House of Representatives.
Congress needs to craft an economic stimulus plan that is targeted, timely and fiscally responsible—and that is debated in an open, accountable and thorough manner. Unfortunately, the legislation passed today fails to meet any of these criteria. I remain ready and willing to work with President Obama and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact legislation that is truly about putting Americans back to work, rather than legislation that grows the size of the federal government and the national debt.”
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