Portman votes against Obama's second stimulus
Lead Summary
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has issued the following statement on his vote against President Obama’s second stimulus bill:
“President Obama’s new jobs plan looks a lot like the old one – the failed stimulus that pushed the country further into debt while not creating the jobs and economic growth promised. Temporary measures haven’t worked. Instead of more jobs, we’ve seen more government spending, more borrowing, more uncertainty and lagging business and consumer confidence. It is time to try something different.
“I think one reason these short-term fixes have not been effective is because the Administration is responding to what it perceives as a cyclical business downturn rather than facing up to the structural problems in our economy that could lead to a long-term jobs crisis if not addressed.
“Instead of this Band-Aid approach to fixing our economy, we need pro-growth structural reforms that give consumers more confidence and job creators more certainty and incentives to invest. This includes tax reform, smart regulatory relief, robust domestic energy production, an aggressive new trade policy that expands exports, better worker retraining to create a competitive workforce, and a credible plan to rein in Washington’s record debt and deficits.
“With the nation’s and Ohio’s unemployment rate above 9 percent, Washington can’t afford to wait any longer to pass bipartisan proposals that will truly unleash the private sector and spur economic growth.”[[In-content Ad]]
“President Obama’s new jobs plan looks a lot like the old one – the failed stimulus that pushed the country further into debt while not creating the jobs and economic growth promised. Temporary measures haven’t worked. Instead of more jobs, we’ve seen more government spending, more borrowing, more uncertainty and lagging business and consumer confidence. It is time to try something different.
“I think one reason these short-term fixes have not been effective is because the Administration is responding to what it perceives as a cyclical business downturn rather than facing up to the structural problems in our economy that could lead to a long-term jobs crisis if not addressed.
“Instead of this Band-Aid approach to fixing our economy, we need pro-growth structural reforms that give consumers more confidence and job creators more certainty and incentives to invest. This includes tax reform, smart regulatory relief, robust domestic energy production, an aggressive new trade policy that expands exports, better worker retraining to create a competitive workforce, and a credible plan to rein in Washington’s record debt and deficits.
“With the nation’s and Ohio’s unemployment rate above 9 percent, Washington can’t afford to wait any longer to pass bipartisan proposals that will truly unleash the private sector and spur economic growth.”[[In-content Ad]]