Washington- Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16) voted against H.R. 598, the Democrat’s economic stimulus bill, when the Energy and Commerce Committee considered its portions of the bill last night.  Citing his belief that far too much of the bill is simply government spending going to various special interests, Congressman Pitts gave the following statement during the hearing:
       
“President Obama has said that his proposed stimulus legislation will create or save three million jobs. This means that this legislation will spend about $275,000 per job.  The average household income in the U.S. is $50,000 a year.  

The problem with the plan that has been put forward, is that it isn’t even economic stimulus, it’s just a spending bill in the form of handouts to special interest groups. 

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, only seven percent – or $26 billion out of $274 billion – of the plan’s spending on infrastructure projects would be delivered into the economy by fiscal year 2010.

Just one in seven dollars of a massive $18.5 billion expenditure on “energy efficiency” and “renewable energy programs” would be spent within the next 18 months.

Plans to bring broadband Internet service to rural and underserved areas will take years to implement, and only 25 percent of clean drinking water projects can be completed by October 2010.

At a time of serious economic hardship, the American people deserve better than a special interest grab-bag.  They deserve a real economic recovery policy.”

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