Lance Lands on GOP Stimulus Hypocrisy List
Freshman Congressman Leonard Lance (R-7th District) has earned the dubious distinction of being one of 114 Republican lawmakers--more than half of the Republicans in Washington--to block passage of President Obama's economic stimulus plan, criticise it in the press, and then take credit for the jobs and projects it has funded.
A devastating report compiled by thinkprogress.org outlines the 114 Republicans who stood in the way of economic recovery while taking credit for its success:
Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) Proclaimed That A Recovery Package Funded Program Was A “Classic Example Of A Shovel-Ready Project.” According to ABC News, “In New Jersey, Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J., toured a Army Corps of Engineers construction site that will likely get stimulus dollars. ‘This is a classic example of a ‘shovel-ready’ project,’ Lance said. As the liberal website BlueJersey notes, Lance had penned an op-ed against the bill, writing ‘Only a fraction of the dollars are targeted toward ’shovel ready’ projects that will keep and create immediate jobs.’” [ABC News, 2/19/09]
-Congressman Lance Voted Against The Recovery Package Twice [Roll Call Vote #46; Roll Call Vote #70]
-Congressman Lance Penned An Op-Ed Writing “Only A Fraction Of The Dollars Are Targeted Toward ‘Shovel Ready’ Projects That Will Keep and Create Immediate Jobs.” [Cranford Chronicle, 2/12/09]
Since the report, a number of lawmakers from Lance's own party have criticized those who have done so:
"I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around, and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying, 'This doesn't create any new job,'" said Schwarzenegger. "And then they go out and do the photo ops, posing with the big check and they say: 'Isn't this great, look at the kind of money I've provided for the state and this is money to create jobs, and this has created 10,000 new jobs, this has created 20,000 news jobs, and all those kinds of things.' It doesn't match up." Governor Arnold Scwarzenegger (R-CA)
“It’s the original sin of Washington -- it’s hypocrisy. You can’t do that then say you go out and cut the other stuff.” Former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY)
"But then to take money from that package and go out and do photo-ops talking about how many jobs it creates does undermine your credibility." Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Indeed, even as Republicans claim the stimulus plan has created no jobs, a new report from the non-partisn Congressional Budget Office reports that the economic stimulus has created up to 2.1 million jobs.
