Judging by the e-mail his office just sent out, I don’t expect U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., to vote for President Obama’s proposed stimulus plan, at least in its current form.
“Montanans need a temporary hand up, not a permanent $825 billion expansion of the federal government,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee which debated the “so-called” stimulus bill last Wednesday. “Despite the name, this isn’t a stimulus bill – it’s an unprecedented attempt to advance the interests of very few special interest groups at the expense of hardworking taxpayers.”
“There’s no reason to permanently medicate a temporary illness,” said Rehberg. “It’s a mistake to use this legislation as the launch pad for a lot of new government programs and government jobs that we’ll be paying for long after the economy has recovered. We need to quickly get the medicine where it will do the most good – in the hands of the small businesses that create jobs and the taxpayers who will keep them in business. And we need to take all necessary precautions to guard against the fleecing of the American taxpayer.”
Rehberg is working with colleagues in offering workable alternatives to the current House stimulus plan. The plan will likely include tax cuts for individuals and small businesses, assistance for the unemployed and measures to stabilize home prices.
“I look forward to working with the President to reach a balanced solution,” said Rehberg. “We aren’t going to get another shot at this, so it’s more important than ever that we lay partisanship aside in the interest of doing the right thing for the American economy.”