Shuster Statement on Stimulus Vote

Stimulus Fails to Meet America’s Urgent Needs

Congress Cannot Spend America into Prosperity

Washington, DC – Congressman Shuster released the following statement on the House vote agreeing to the Conference Report on the Democrats’ stimulus bill:

“Congress must act to help the millions of Americans struggling in this recession.  But how we act and what we do is just as important as the speed we take to act.  Congress can do better than the $789 billion boondoggle that passed the House today.  President Obama told the American people that the focus of the stimulus should be jobs, jobs, jobs.  Speaker Pelosi had a different idea: spend, spend, spend. 

There is a growing consensus among economists and the American people that the Democrats’ stimulus bill simply will not work and I agree. If Congress was focused on actually getting America out of the recession, we wouldn’t need billions of dollars to help us through the recession. 

Far too few of the $789 billion dollars spent in this bill will actually create jobs. Democrat leaders in Congress have twisted the spirit of this legislation to nickel and dime future generations to pay for a historic growth of government instead of investing in historic economic growth.  I am ashamed that Congress threw away a golden opportunity to show the American people that we could rise above partisanship for the benefit of the nation.  Legislation as important as this, with such long ranging impact on our nation, should not be written behind closed doors or rushed through without bipartisan negotiation.”