| Joe Lieberman is up to his old tricks, undermining the Democratic Congress's efforts to pass an effective stimulus bill. Lieberman is supporting a version of the bill that would end up killing jobs, raising property taxes, reducing investment in green building, and cutting off vital infrastructure projects. The stimulus bill that was passed in the House is getting beaten down in the Senate, and Lieberman is carrying one of the clubs.
Just days ago CT's Congressional delegation and economic leaders championed the many benefits this bill would deliver:
Larry Summers, director of the National Economic Council, said Tuesday that the White House stimulus package could create up to 44,000 jobs in Connecticut, the majority of which would be in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
"The program will include the largest investment in the backbone of the American economy, our basic infrastructure --roads, transit, broadband, schools -- since the interstate highway system," Summers said in a meeting with reporters in the Old Executive Office Building.
Himes said when it comes to infrastructure, transit is the most important issue facing Norwalk and Fairfield County, but there are issues with government buildings and utilities that cannot be ignored.
"The schools are crumbling and the sewage systems are not up to snuff," Himes said in a telephone interview.
Well, those projects might have to wait another half century. Lieberman is working with Susan Collins, Ben Nelson, and a small group of bipartisan incompetent sadistic Senators to eliminate a huge chunk of that necessary spending.
[T]he group had drafted a list of nearly $90 billion in cuts, including $40 billion in aid for states, more than $14 billion for various education programs, $4.1 billion to make federal buildings energy efficient and $1.5 billion for broadband Internet service in rural areas.
So, just when state residents were starting to feel hopeful about getting through this crisis without too much pain, Lieberman pulls the rug. It seriously makes you wonder if Lieberman enjoys watching bridges collapse and schools fall apart.
UPDATE Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are voting more consistently with Democrats on the stimulus bill than Lieberman is. See the chart.
(h/t Jonk, CTBlue) |
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