Graves Statement on Latest Stimulus Push

Statement

Today, Congressman Sam Graves released the following statement on President Barack Obama's request for a further $50 billion to bail out state and local governments.

"It has become increasingly clear that the President wants to talk a tough game on deficit reduction, while he and his allies in Congress continue to increase the largest deficits this country has ever seen," Graves said. "This latest request for an additional $50 billion dollars to bail out state and local governments comes at a time when Americans are demanding a return to spending sanity by their representatives in Washington.

"Simply put, we cannot continue to spend money we don't have. The Administration's proposal to freeze discretionary spending for three years is a step in the right direction. But Americans expect the Federal government to do more than pay lip service to the notion of deficit reduction, and a new stimulus is yet another move in the wrong direction.

"Initiating a costly new stimulus -- when it is apparent the first one did not work as intended -- only accelerates us down a fiscally unsustainable path."

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