By Congressman Joe Pitts

I understand people may be frustrated with what they see as partisanship in Washington.  The House passed a $1.2 trillion (when you include the interest on the borrowed money) “stimulus” plan this week.  I, along with all of my Republican colleagues in the House, opposed the bill.  Let me be clear: this had nothing to do with partisanship, and everything to do with doing what is right for our country.

In fact, in a show of desire to work across party lines, President Barack Obama took the unusual step of coming to the Capitol and meeting with House Republicans.  I was impressed with his desire to reach consensus.  Unfortunately, Democrat leaders in Congress do not share his desire to include Republican ideas.

So the bill we voted on this week was not a bipartisan product, but rather a trillion dollar pork barrel spending spree, written by Nancy Pelosi, without input from Republicans, that expands government and rewards special interests.

Newspaper editorial pages across the ideological spectrum, from the Wall Street Journal to the Washington Post, have pointed out the lack of actual stimulus in the Democrats economic stimulus plan.  I would like to point out some of the most egregious examples of such spending that were included in the bill that passed the House.

Fifty million dollars will go to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), whose recent expenditures include $95,000 for the American Ballet Theatre in New York City and $300,000 to restore an outdoor sculpture collection in Miami, Florida.  In fact, the bill provides fewer funds for small business tax relief in the form of expensing than it provides for the NEA.  That’s more money for art than the small businesses that will create jobs to get our economy moving again—hardly economic stimulus.

Another $650 million will go to subsidize the purchase of TV converter boxes, and $3 billion will be spent on prevention and wellness programs, including $335 million for sexually transmitted disease prevention education.

Not wanting to leave out the federal bureaucracy, the bill included $600 million to buy new cars for government workers.  This is in addition to the $3.5 billion a year the federal government already spends to acquire, operate, and maintain a fleet of about 642,000 trucks, passenger cars, and other vehicles.

Another $1 billion was allocated to be spent for the follow-up to the 2010 Census. The follow-up will not even begin until April of 2010.
In fact, the only thing bipartisan about this bill was the group of lawmakers voting no in the House, as several Democrats crossed the aisle to oppose the plan. 

But it is important for people to know that I did not simply seek to stop a bad plan from moving forward.  Along with my Republican colleagues, I have been advocating a number of alternative ideas that I believe would help bring real relief to American families. 

This includes permanent tax relief.  In the past, tax cuts have led to tremendous prosperity. Tax cuts under Presidents Kennedy, Reagan, and Bush generated prosperity by reducing our tax burden. Tax cuts will have an immediate effect on the spending power of employers and families.  New government programs will take months or years to have any effect.

Additionally, we should reform America’s energy infrastructure.  One of the best things government can do to stimulate the economy is encourage energy growth. New investments in clean, safe, and efficient power made in this country would create millions of jobs and provide the groundwork necessary for economic vitality.

We should stabilize the housing market as well. The real-estate market is paralyzed as potential buyers wait on the sidelines, fearing that prices will fall even further. This is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Congress should offer a home-buyers credit of $7,500 for those buyers who can make a minimum down payment of five percent. This would help encourage responsible buyers to enter the market and stabilize prices, which would, in turn, decrease foreclosure rates.  And we should remove trade barriers and reform federal regulations. 

We need a stimulus plan that is quick and focused on the policies that will help create jobs.  I voted against the bill in the House this week because I didn’t think it was either of these things.  However, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress to advance a responsible economic policy for the American people.  And I encourage people to visit my website at www.house.gov/pitts where I have posted a more detailed memorandum with my ideas for getting the American economy back on track.

Congressman Joe Pitts represents the 16^th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

###