Washington- Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16) released the following statement today after voting against the Conference Report on H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“I opposed the so-called stimulus bill because it was full of big government, special interest spending and has little hope of accomplishing the job creation that our economy so desperately needs to get back on track.  The plan was exactly what I would expect from a bill negotiated in secret—handouts for special interests and a laundry list of Democrat spending priorities.

“The American people deserve better than a trillion dollar big government spending bill that will saddle our children and grandchildren with debt for years to come. 

“The passage of this bill is truly a sad day for our country.  We could have done something that really would have helped; instead we passed a bill that will do more harm than good.” 

Background

Congressman Pitts distributed an extensive memo to his constituents after the House first voted on H.R. 1.  The memo details his vote on the legislation and the alternatives he believed should have been supported instead.  To read the memo, please click here.

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