Democrats slam Roe as hypocrite for handing out funds from stimulus
The Tennessee Republican Party is backing U.S. Rep. Phil Roe’s so-called “trash and cash” actions involving the $800 billion-plus federal stimulus package passed early in President Barack Obama’s administration.
Roe, R-Tenn., is one of more than 120 House Republicans who voted against the 2009 economic recovery package and then sought stimulus funds, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
Last week, Roe presented Takoma Regional Hospital officials in Greeneville with a $1.3 million stimulus check as partial reimbursement for the hospital’s investment in electronic health records.
Afterward, the Tennessee Democratic Party fired off an e-mail to news media outlets calling the check award a “hypocritical handout.”
The TDP e-mail said: “Congressman Roe doesn’t want to spend taxpayer dollars but he’s happy to dole it out. This is exactly the kind of sham leadership that has Tennesseans so frustrated with the Republican Congress.”
When contacted for a response, Roe said in an e-mail: “You can’t spend over $816 billion dollars and not do some good things. But the real question is, was the stimulus legislation a waste of taxpayer dollars? With a high unemployment rate, a trillion-dollar-plus national deficit, and families still losing their homes, it is no surprise that hardworking Tennessee taxpayers continue to question the priorities President Obama and congressional Democrats chose to fund in their stimulus bill. These priorities included billions for ‘clean’ energy programs like Solyndra and for overhauling federal buildings, and hundreds of millions for resodding the National Mall and for Amtrak. I still believe there are responsible ways to promote job growth and stimulate the economy, but we sure can’t continue down this path of reckless spending.”
TRP Executive Director Adam Nickas defended Roe by saying he has a consistent record of fighting against wasteful Washington spending.
“President Obama, on the other hand, has a consistent record of hypocrisy,” Nickas said in an e-mail. “The president promised to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term, but instead increased the national debt by over 40 percent. Obama’s advisers said that the $825 billion stimulus would keep the unemployment rate below 8 percent. Instead, the unemployment rate has been above 8 percent for a post-WWII record of 35 straight months.”
In April 2010, Roe also defended his appearance at a groundbreaking ceremony for a Morristown school project supported by the stimulus package.
At that time, TDP Chairman Chip Forrester said in a release that it was “more than a little disingenuous” for Roe to show up at the ceremony after opposing the stimulus package.
DCCC, which supports Democratic candidates, has included Roe among House Republicans in its “Hypocrisy Hall of Fame” for “trying to celebrate the benefits of projects they opposed in President Obama’s recovery bill.”
Roe is expected to seek re-election to a third term in Northeast Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District this year.
Gray Democrat Alan Woodruff has announced plans to run in the district’s Democratic primary this summer.
The district hasn’t elected a Democrat to the congressional seat in more than 100 years.
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You miss our point too HF. Why bring it up at all about Roe? Three years to get the money and the Dems start barking ? Just remember, BHO helped contribute to the mess he inherited. He should have spent some time in politics and the senate than 1 year of occupying a seat and campaigning for 3 years. Crap no matter how you try to cover the scent is still crap.
As usual, you guys completely miss the point. If you vote against something based on your ideological agenda, then you let someone else have the photo op with the check. I supported the stimulus and the money given to the hospital, just not the delivery man. Oh, without the stimulus, who knows where this economy that Ole GW left us would be.
I wonder how many Dems are in their "Hypocrisy Hall of Fame". It's kind of funny hypocrites calling hypocrites hypocrites. This is just another election year tactic the Dems are using. Shift the focus on the GOP by getting people mad and angry. They do not see your failures with the stimulus and the economy. I guess they didn't notice it was only a partial reimbursement to the hospital. That means they spent more money than they got from the government. Hello !!!! This is what we need more of to fix the economy. As usual, it's more about politics and power than some taxpayer money actually doing some good. How sad !!!! BO must go!BO must go!......good chant also...lol!
Roe must go! Roe must go!....good chant...lol!