Arcuri and Hanna come out against spending stimulus money overseas
Story Created:
Feb 12, 2010 at 5:19 PM EST
Story Updated:
Feb 12, 2010 at 5:19 PM EST
(WKTV) - Both candidates in the 24th Congressional District race are coming out against spending stimulus money overseas.
Republican challenger Richard Hanna pointed Friday to an Investigative Reporting Workshop study that shows 80% of the money for energy renewal is going to create jobs in China, India and other countries. This comes after news that $450 million in stimulus funds will be sent to China to build turbines for West Texas. Project organizers have estimated more than 2,000 manufacturing jobs would be created in China, while Texas would only create about 300 new jobs.
"Our money, our tax dollars paid for a stimulus bill to create jobs - American jobs," Hanna said. "There is no reason why we should be borrowing from our children to create jobs overseas when clearly the stimulus package was intended to create jobs at home."
Congressman Michael Arcuri voted for the stimulus bill, but agrees with his 2010 opponent. Arcuri joined with both Democrats and Republicans sending a letter to the Secretary of Energy back in December urging for the funds for that project to be blocked.
Arcuri says stimulus funds should focus on stimulating America.
"If our country is to remain competitive in the global marketplace and break our dependence on foreign energy, we must focus our incentives on establishing a flourishing manufacturing base for renewable technologies here at home," Arcuri said. "Awarding Recovery Bill funds to projects that purchase products manufactured overseas, when we have the capabilities here at home, would run contrary to both the intent and the letter of the Recovery Bill."
The incumbent Representative reaffirmed his support of a block of those funds to China again Friday.
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