Bout time they started to grow a pair:
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voiced skepticism today about the emerging economic stimulus plan, applying a brake to Democratic plans to quickly pass up to $850 billion in spending and tax cuts soon after President-elect Barack Obama’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
“As of right now, Americans are left with more questions than answers about this unprecedented government spending, and I believe the taxpayers deserve to know a lot more about where it will be spent before we consider passing it,” McConnell said in a statement, which will be publicly issued later today.
Obama’s advisers and congressional Democrats have been huddling in the Capitol trying to craft a massive stimulus plan that could cost anywhere from $675 billion to $850 billion, while some economists are pushing for a total package worth more than $1 trillion.
McConnell — the most powerful Republican in Washington, based on the filibuster-proof level of 41 GOP Senate seats — called for many congressional hearings on the stimulus plan and some undetermined safeguards to assure the money is being spent wisely.
~~~McConnell specifically called for a weeklong cooling off period between when the bill is drafted and when it is voted on, allowing time to dissect it for signs of “fraud and waste.”
Senate Democrats reiterated their contention that any quick passage of the legislation will require full acceptance by GOP leaders, who at this point have not been involved in negotiations.
Of course it’s too bad they didn’t grow a pair when all that bailout money was negotiated on.
I think my favorite line I’ve heard from the MSM, or any of the politico’s on this stimulus package has to be this report yesterday:
While some economists consulted by Obama’s team recommended spending of up to $1 trillion over two years, a more likely figure seems to be $850 billion. There is concern that a package that looks too large could worry financial markets, and the incoming economic team also wants to signal fiscal restraint.
Yup, 850 billion is showing fiscal restraint.
Sigh….
The left continues to deny the reality that lowering taxes would actually mean business owners could keep much of the money they make, which would then make more jobs. Those new workers would then have money to spend which helps the economy. It’s just common sense.
But denying reality ensures they can keep people addicted to entitlement programs…..just what the left wants.
See author page
Keynesian Economics is Wrong: Bigger Gov’t is Not Stimulus.
Dan Mitchell, Cato Institute
the dems don’t car ethey just want to spend and spend and spend. it makes one sick to think of all the waste. i cannot afford higher taxes, i am actually looking forward to being able to right off my loses int he market though. you can’t keep throwing money at a problem, you ahve to figure out how to fix it, and we conservatives have a better idea than the liberals. if i ran my household budget like this i wouldnt have a house let alone a budget. i would be in jail or on the street.
I guess we can say the last stimulus plan, the last bailout, and the bailout before that and the … didn’t work. OK, tell me one more time why this will work again?
Proving just because you can build Volgas does not mean people will buy Volgas.
Growing government, more government spending, more government make-work jobs, is not economic stimulus and does not help the economy. They all end in the same place, the unemployment line. Probably much too hard for an ivy league Marxist to understand that though.
How many more stimulus plans before they give it up.