Lewis Statement on the Signing of the “Stimulus” Bill

Lewis Statement on the Signing of the “Stimulus” Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Jerry Lewis, Ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, today made the following statement in advance of the signing of the “stimulus” bill by President Obama. The trillion dollar legislation was approved by Congress late last week.

“We needed a stimulus package with limited and targeted spending – such as funding for transportation and road projects – and responsible tax cuts to spur actual economic growth. The legislation signed today contains massive unchecked spending, widespread policy flaws, and risky fiscal strategies that will not provide the economic boost our nation urgently needs and that will hinder our recovery down the road.

“However, while I do not support this stimulus bill, it is time to move forward and deal with what we’ve got. I stand ready to work with President Obama, his Administration, and my colleagues in Congress to track this spending, and – to the extent of our ability – make sure it is not misspent. It is now our job to engage in vigorous oversight, to try and stop wasteful spending before the money goes out the door, to weed out mismanagement and misuse of these funds, and to bring to light fraud and abuse. With the historic size and scope of this enormous spending bill, we have a big job ahead of us.”