***Oregon’s Defazio votes AGAINST Porkulus.
The rest are: Bobby Bright of Alabama, Parker Griffith of Alabama, Walt Minnick of Idaho, Collin Peterson of Minnesota, Heath Shuler of North Carolina and Gene Taylor of Mississippi.
**New from AP All but seven Democrats voted for the bill—a 1,071 page, 8-inch-thick measure that combines $281 billion in tax cuts for individuals and businesses with more than a half-trillion dollars in government spending. The money would go for infrastructure, health care and help for cash-starved state governments, among scores of programs. Seniors would get a $250 bonus Social Security check.
The plan is the signature initiative of the fledgling Obama administration, which is betting that combining tax cuts of $400 a year for individuals and $800 for couples with an infusion of spending for unemployment assistance, $250 payments to people on Social Security, and extra money for states to help with the Medicaid health program for the poor and disabled will arrest the economy’s fall.
Local school districts would receive $70 billion in additional funding for K-12 programs and special education and to prevent cutbacks and layoffs and repair crumbling schools. There’s about $50 billion for energy programs, much of which goes to efficiency programs and renewable energy.
Some $46 billion would go to transportation projects, not enough to please many lawmakers.
I’ve never seen statements like this from the Heritage Foundation. We’ll have them on tonight reacting to the ‘stimulus,’ but you need to read this:
For the last 35 years, educators and analysts at The Heritage Foundation have been intimately involved in the nation’s great public policy debates. In all that time, we have never encountered legislation with such far-reaching and revolutionary policy implications as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act currently before Congress. And never have we seen a bill more cloaked in secrecy or more withdrawn from open public exposure and honest debate.
In addition to being the single most expensive bill ever proposed, this measure calls for a massive expansion of the federal government’s reach into the day-to-day life of virtually every citizen, business and civic organization in the nation. That, in itself, should be the subject of an extensive public conversation and thoughtful debate. Instead, we have seen Congressional leaders schedule snap votes on a 1,434-page bill that no one-repeat, no one-has had a chance to read in its entirety, much less digest and deliberate.
This bill has been advertised as an economic stimulus bill-despite the fact that the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will actually weaken our nation’s long-term economic growth. While the stimulative utility of the bill is, at best, questionable, it would unquestionably rewrite the social contract between the American people and their government. For example:
- The bill reverses the bipartisan and highly successful welfare reforms of 1996 and drastically expands the welfare state. For instance, it will start rewarding states for adding people to their welfare rolls, rather than for helping them find gainful employment. And contrary to long-established practice, it will entitle able-bodied adults without children to receive cash assistance.
- It does extreme violence to the concept of federalism-bailing out states that have spent irresponsibly at the expense of taxpayers in states that have been fiscally prudent.
- It greatly shifts the responsibility and power over health care delivery and decision making from individuals to government. Among other things, it would create a new federal health board to decide which medical services are “effective” in America, paving the way for government effectively to overrule the clinical decisions of private physicians.
- It deliberately censors religious speech and worship on school campuses by prohibiting use of any “stimulus” funds for facilities that are used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school of divinity.
The list goes on. These and similar provisions will mean fundamental changes in our society. In many instances, the bill would establish policies that directly challenge widely held American values.
We are appalled that Congress is even contemplating such profound changes with so little openness and due diligence. In the past, major policy changes in our welfare system, or health care, or trade policies, etc., were always, quite properly, preceded by extensive public conversation and full debate. That is how a democracy should make important decisions.
The failure of Congress and the Administration to allow that debate is damaging to our democracy. Both chambers of Congress suspended their budget rules to push it along. And both the President and the leaders of the House and Senate have violated their solemn promises that the bill would be available for several days of public review prior to voting, so that the American people might have a chance to learn what is in the bill and to make their views known to their elected officials.
This reckless approach to governance can only undermine public faith in our elected officials and our government as a whole. We call on Congress and the Administration to live up to their promises and stated ideals, and give the democratic process a chance to work.
Sincerely,
Edwin J. Feulner,
President
The Heritage Foundation
Here’s Move on’s reax:
Dear MoveOn member,
You’d think after bankrupting our country, Republican leaders would rethink some of their ideas.
Guess again.
They actually tried to replace the whole stimulus bill with tax cuts for the rich. And the worst part is, they were partially successful—they gutted funding from some of the most progressive programs, like school construction and affordable health care.
We need to make sure voters back home know what these Republicans are up to. Because if we don’t, they’ll do it again. They’ll weaken or block every important piece of legislation this year.
If you want health care for all, if you want to stop climate change, if you want to end the war, can you help run ads letting voters know that their senators and representatives stood in the way of change? Since yesterday, thousands of contributions have been coming in. But we’re still $100,000 short of our goal. Can you chip in $25 to put us over the top?
President Obama and most of the congressional Democrats spent the last month working hard to craft a plan that would help keep hundreds of thousands of teachers from being laid off, invest in vital green-energy technology, and provide health care for folks who lose their jobs.
What did conservative Democrats and Republicans bring to the table? Rehashed Bush policies and tired talking points. The very same things that got us into this mess in the first place. The stimulus will still create millions of jobs, and it’s an important first step, but it could have been even stronger.
People are really suffering across our nation, yet Republicans are continuing to play the same old partisan games—and they’re being helped along by conservative Democrats. Don’t worry: We’ll hold both Republicans and Democrats who stand in the way of change accountable with these ads.
The Republicans are not being intellectually honest. The GOP has passed what amounts to a spending and tax-cutting and borrowing stimulus package every year since George W. Bush came to office. They have added tens of trillions to future liabilities and they turned a surplus into a trillion dollar deficit – all in a time of growth. They then pick the one moment when demand is collapsing in an alarming spiral to argue that fiscal conservatism is non-negotiable.
The bad faith and refusal to be accountable for their own conduct for the last eight years is simply inescapable. There is no reason for the GOP to have done what they have done for the last eight years and to say what they are saying now except pure, cynical partisanship, and a desire to wound and damage the new presidency.
Stumpy misses that our economy was rolling along just fine, lowest ever unemployment and record receipts in the treasury, up until the Socialist Demokratik Politburo takeover of Congress in 2007.
Something also tells me that stumpy accepted his tax cut under Bush’s plan and never spoke out against the over spending, as conservatives did.
And now, stumpy is willing to enslave all of America under Communism to play get back at Bush?
Stump,
When taxes were cut revenues went up. What’s your point?
Victoria
Folks like Stumpy will never admit that revenues go up when taxes are cut. It goes against everything that progressives believe.
Look at the film that you posted about Kerry screaming that he was worried about the guantee that Americans will invest their money in America.. so his solution was to Have government do it..
Stump dose not admit that the so called “surplus” was a bald face lie.. Bill Clinton was using Social Security Funds and Medicare revenue in his figures.. which was a neat trick.. but transparent.
It amazes me that people scream about George Bush and his 4 trillion dollar defict with the democratically congrolled congress and senate overseaing it..(I was not happy about that myself) But Obama screaming for this bill that is estimated to be costing up to 3 trillion dollars in final costs after being implemented.. He has only been in office for less than a month.