WASHINGTON POST ON DEMS’ “STIMULUS”: WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

WILL DEMOCRATS FINALLY WORK WITH REPUBLICANS ON PLANS TO CURB SPENDING, CREATE JOBS, AND CONTROL THE DEBT?

June 22, 2009 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink

Nearly three million jobs have been lost this year, and in spite of the Democrats’ promises that passage of their trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill would stop the bleeding, it looks like job losses will continue in the weeks and months to come.  As Democrats continue their epic spending binge – which started with the “stimulus,” the $400 billion “omnibus” loaded with 9,000 unscrutinized earmarks, the $3.6 trillion budget, and more bailouts and continues with their plans for a national energy tax and a government takeover of health care – the Washington Post today asks what middle-class families and small businesses across America are asking: where are the jobs?

Democrats like to say their stimulus plan was all about jobs, but as USA Today reported this morning, it’s nothing more than old-style Washington spending: “Most of the $2.2 billion in economic stimulus money for Army Corps of Engineers construction projects will be spent in the home districts of members of Congress who oversee the corps’ funding.”  House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) discussed this issue during an interview on Bloomberg Television’s Political Capital with Al Hunt: 

The Administration now acknowledges that unemployment will rise to 10 percent later this year – a full two points higher than Democrats predicted, as long as the “stimulus” was passed by Congress.  So, are Democrats prepared to admit that more government spending does not equal more jobs?  More importantly, are Democrats prepared to abandon their go-it-alone approach and work with Republicans on bipartisan solutions to create more jobs? 

All year long, Republicans have offered better alternatives to curb spending, create jobs, and control the debt, including an economic plan that would have created twice the jobs the Democrats promised at half the cost.  Now, Republicans have introduced better solutions to make health care more affordable and accessible and lower energy prices while cleaning up the environment.  Instead of plowing ahead with their misguided plans for a government takeover of health care and a national energy tax purportedly aimed to cut carbon emissions – both of which will cost Americans even more jobs – are Democrats finally ready to work with Republicans in a constructive way to address the problems middle-class families and small businesses face every day?

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REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH)
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