Mike Rogers: Stimulus bill not good enough for East Alabama

WASHINGTON, D.C. — We are all feeling the effects of our stalled economy in Russell County and Lee County. With declining home values and mounting job losses, folks in East Alabama are hurting.
Families across east Alabama and the nation have been waiting on Congress to help. Unfortunately, this week, Congress passed a bill that was too short on tax cuts, investment and job creation and too bloated with unrelated wasteful spending.

Most folks understand and agree on the urgency to act immediately. But this plan, H.R. 1, totaling around $800 billion, just doesn’t go far enough to create jobs and get our economy moving while remaining temporary and targeted enough so that its spending doesn’t continue indefinitely.

The bill had its merits. Those included funding for infrastructure projects beneficial for east Alabama and one-time funding for Alabama’s cash-strapped Medicaid program. Ultimately, however, those merits didn’t outweigh its downsides.

Congress seemed to forget the purpose of this bill: to create jobs. To help do that Congress would increase the federal deficit on a short-term basis to fund one-time, “shovel ready” projects.

Yet only 3.4 percent of the bill’s spending that is supposed to stimulate our economy by investing in infrastructure goes to highway spending. It’s clear Congress missed a golden opportunity when it came to rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure.

There is also too much spending on programs that have nothing to do with job creation.

For example, included in the Democrat’s stimulus bill is $2 billion for the controversial group ACORN; $1 billion for the 2010 Census; $650 for digital television convertor box coupons; and $300 million for “green” golf carts.

How does this help folks struggling to live paycheck to paycheck?

On the taxes front, the final bill reduced much-needed tax relief to only 18 percent of the bill.

Probably the most troubling feature of this bill is the mountains of new debt that it piles on our children and grandchildren by permanently expanding the size and scope of the federal government. Instead of a short-term economic stimulus, this bill will place with interest over $1 trillion worth of debt on our future generations.

Too many of its new programs simply won’t end.

It was disappointing Congress could not produce a more focused bill.

Folks in east Alabama and across America deserve better. Many agree with that assessment — every Republican in the House of Representatives and six of seven Alabama Congressmen — Democratic and Republican — voted against it along with both Alabama senators.

As always, please contact me with your concerns at any of my district offices or at http://www.house.gov/mike-rogers.

Mike Rogers is a U.S. Congressman representing Alabama’s third district.