Blocking The Recovery While Reaping Its Benefits - House Of Representatives
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) Said Stimulus Funds Would Create “Much Needed Jobs.” Minority Leader Boehner: “The stated intent of the so-called stimulus package was to create jobs, and certainly a $57 million slush-fund studying projects did nothing to achieve that goal. With Ohio’s unemployment rate the highest it’s been in 25 years, I’m pleased that federal officials stepped in to order Ohio to use all of its construction dollars for shovel-ready projects that will create much-needed jobs.” [Boehner Statement, 6/15/09]
-Congressman Boehner Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
-Congressman Boehner Regularly Blasts The Stimulus And Instructed His Caucus To Oppose It. [Huffington Post, 1/27/09]
Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) Held A Job Fair Where Nearly Half The 30 Organizations Received Stimulus Funds; Cantor Also Supported Using Stimulus Funds To Build A Washington To Richmond Rail. Washington Post: “For months, Democrats have dubbed U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia a hypocrite for strongly opposing the federal stimulus package only to promote aspects of it later. Here’s the latest example: Nearly half of the 30 organizations participating in a job fair Cantor is holding Monday in Culpeper were recipients of the stimulus…In the summer, Cantor came under fire after he talked about his support of using stimulus money to build a rail project from Washington to Richmond.” [Washington Post Virginia Blog, 11/18/09]
- Congressman Eric Cantor Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) Issued Pres Releases Bragging About Bringing Stimulus Jobs To His District. On July 28th, Kingston’s press office fired off two releases bragging about a $106,901 grant for the Alma Police Department and a $138,286 grant for the Jesup Police Department in Georgia. These grants, distributed by the Department of Justice for the “hiring of new police officers, to combat violence against women, and to fight Internet crimes against children,” were fully-funded by President Obama’s Recovery Act.
[Think Progress, 8/4/09]
- Congressman Kingston Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) Working To ‘Channel’ Recovery Act Funds To New Orleans. Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) is now working to bring Recovery Act money into his district. Last week, the Times-Picayune reported that Cao has been meeting with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to apply to “use stimulus money for additional streetcar expansions and road repairs.” Cao boasted that he is now working to “channel” the money that he opposed to his district. [Think Progress, 8/3/09]
- Congressman Cao Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
-Congressman Cao Initially Indicated That He Would Vote For the Stimulus, Before Succumbing To GOP Arm-Twisting. [Think Progress, 8/3/09]
Rep. Mary Fallin Requested Army Secretary Use $8.4m in Stimulus Funds for Projects in Oklahoma. Rep. Mary Fallin (R-OK) — who called the stimulus a “Big Brother spending program” — asked Army Secretary Pete Geren to use $8.4 million in stimulus money for repairs to buildings at two Oklahoma National Guard sites. [Think Progress, 8/27/09]
-Congressman Fallin Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
Dan Lungren Praised $127.5 million in Stimulus Funds to Sacramento As a Solution To “Energy, Environmental and National Security Issues.” [Sacramento Bee, 11/28/09]
-Dan Lungren Claimed That The Stimulus Package “Didn’t Work” and Called It A “Terribly Tragedy”. [DCCC Release, 12/2/09]
-Lungren Appeared At Stimulus-Funding Project Groundbreaking Ceremony, Saying “if there’s one thing we agree on with this spending package, it is for simple infrastructure.” [DCCC, 12/2/09]
-Congressman Lungren Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) Hands Out Giant Stimulus Check In Georgia. Gingrey appeared in the city of Cedartown, Georgia, to present a giant check of $625,000 in stimulus funds to the city commission to help fund the the city’s Streetscape project, which will install new sidewalks and infrastructure. [Think Progress, 10/13/09]
-Congressman Gingrey Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
Congressman Mike Coffman (R-CO) Says He Will Advocate For Benefits Of Recovery Package Despite Opposition. During a segment with KUSA-TV, Rep. Coffman said: “I see myself in two roles as a congressman. I think the first role as a policymaker in Washington and the second as an advocate for people inside this district and there are elements we’ll probably be discussing – the mortgage proposal – there are probably elements that I disagree with that but if there’s somebody in my district eligible for that, I’ll fight to make sure they get them.” Coffman goes on to say, “I certainly supported infrastructure spending because it creates direct jobs in the private sector, clearly I support tax relief…it still puts money into the economy.” [KUSA-TV, 2/22/09]
-Congressman Coffman Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
-Congressman Coffman Attacked The Recovery Package, Stating: “I Think It’s Going To Have The Reverse Effect That It’s Intended To Have.” [CBS4, 2/2/09]
Congressman Reichert (R-WA) Acknowledged Recovery Package Will Deliver Good News For District. The Boston Globe reported: “Reichert acknowledges that the stimulus bill will deliver tangible good news to his constituents… ‘I feel a responsibility at this point to make this still work.’” [Boston Globe, 2/24/09]
-Congressman Reichert Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
-Congressman Reichert Attacked The Recovery Package, Declaring
It To Be Spending That “Won’t Create Jobs.” [McClatchy, 2/13/09]
Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK) Said He Would Get His “Fair Share” Of Recovery Package Money. According to the Edmond Sun, Rep. Lucas said, “I will work with you as I worked with your member of Congress (Mary Fallin) and your U.S. senators that we will get our fair share.” He added, “We all need to work very aggressively to make sure that every community that qualifies should be a recipient of whatever we can find in that bill” [Edmond Sun, 2/18/09]
-Congressman Lucas Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
-Congressman Lucas Attacked The Recovery Package, Stating, “The Federal Government Does “Not Create Wealth.” [Enid News And Eagle, 1/28/09]
Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC) Hosts Recovery Package Workshop, Says He Is “Prepared To Fight” For “Fair Share.” The Citizen-Times, reported: “‘I didn’t vote for it, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t support Western North Carolina getting its fair share. We’re prepared to fight for that,’ Shuler told some 220 local officials gathered at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel for a workshop on how local governments can plan and apply for stimulus funding.” [Citizen-Times, 1/20/09]
-Congressman Shuler Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
Congressman Bill Shuster Bashes The Stimulus As A Failure While Taking Credit For Its Success. Congressman Shuster has been quietly claiming credit for its benefits in his district, as well as advocating for an expanded role for Recovery Act money in his community:
-On November 20, Shuster attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a sewage treatment plant for the Blairsville Municipal Authority. Republican State Senator Don White noted that the project was only possible because of the stimulus, which allowed the state Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to provide a $10.4 million grant and a $3 million low interest loan for construction. [Blairsville Dispatch, 11/25/09]
-On November 4, Shuster asked Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) to use some of the state’s stimulus money to reopen the Scotland School for Veterans’ Children. Shuster noted that using the Recovery Act money for the school would save 134 full-time jobs. [Waynesboro Herald-Mail, 11/4/09]
-In July, Shuster joined 14 Pennsylvania lawmakers — including fellow stimulus-opponents Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), and Todd Platts (R-PA) — in writing a letter asking that stimulus money be used towards public universities. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 7/10/09]
-In June, Shuster hailed the stimulus-funded initiative to build a high-speed rail line between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The Post-Gazette quoted Shuster praising the project: “I believe we are about to experience a new era in passenger rail in this country. I want Western Pennsylvania to participate in this new era and to enjoy the benefits of increased and expanded passenger rail service.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/23/09]
-Congressman Shuster Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
-Congressman Shuster said the Recovery Act is doing “nothing to encourage growth.” [Shuster press release, 9/4/09]