Bono Mack: Stimulus Not Stimulating Enough, Bipartisanship Still Attainable
President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver his an address to Congress Tuesday night. It’s a speech being given ata time unlike any other faced by the American people.
The economy is tanking, millions of people have lost jobs, and trust in government is wavering.
But President Obama is setting a goal to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. It’s an ambitious plan not unlike the massive stimulus bill he signed last week.
It’s a bill Valley Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, along with the rest of the Republicans in the House, voted against.
“I believe President Obama let the process get derailed,” the Congresswoman pointed out. “House leadership wrote the stimulus bill. He had to stand behind it. There was no input from the Republicans.”
Despite the criticism on the bill’s passage, Congresswoman Bono Mack is hopeful about it reviving the economy.
But the Congresswoman, like many in the GOP, feels the stimulus is not stimulating enough and believes the bill could actually hurt the Valley’s economy.
She points to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s effort to commit billions to a high speed train between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, arguing it would siphon traffic from local casinos.
“That project can’t even begin breaking ground for at least five years. So why that would be included in the stimulus package right now, that is being sold to the American people as a way to jump start our economy– to save and create jobs right now. I think it’s misleading.”
On the subject of the banking bailouts approved earlier this year, the Congresswoman said she stands by her yes vote.
“We needed to do something to act quickly, to stabilize the markets. The timing was critical. Frustration is with the way it’s played out. The way funding has or has not made it out to the people as was originally intended for.”
While many Americans sing the bailout blues, they may also be wondering, with all the fighting on Capitol Hill, if bipartisanship can truly be reached.
“I firmly believe that President Obama desires true bipartisanship in both the House and the Senate. I plan to continue to reach out to him and his administration and say I’m willing to work with you on any issue.”
