08.28.09
Carter wants to have it both ways
Via Think Progress, Republicans Who Opposed The Stimulus Line Up To Criticize It Publicly, Request More Money Privately .
The AP reports that Republicans who opposed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly referred to as the stimulus, are nonetheless vigorously pursuing money from the program.
[...]
– Rep. John Carter (R-TX) opposed the Recovery Act, and recently called the entire program a failure that should be “repealed.” Regardless, Carter’s public pronouncements did not stop him from requesting $621 million in hospital projects from the stimulus — then calling the funds a victory for the economy in central Texas.
Here’s the Carter-specific part from the AP article, STIMULUS WATCH: GOP opposes plan then seeks money.
About $1.2 billion is for new hospitals at Fort Hood, an Army base in Texas Republican John Carter’s district, and Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base in California Republican Darrell Issa’s district. The two hospitals are the largest individual projects to be paid for with defense stimulus dollars.
Carter voted against the bill, saying the stimulus would pile debt on future generations. But he hailed the $621 million hospital project as a victory for the economy in central Texas, where Fort Hood occupies more than 217,000 acres.
Construction of the Fort Hood hospital is scheduled to begin in September 2010. Also planned for the base is $100 million more in stimulus money for work ranging from road repairs to replacing heating and cooling systems.
John Stone, Carter’s spokesman, said the congressman has been pushing for several years to get a new hospital at Fort Hood. The new hospital is also supported by Rep. Chet Edwards, a Texas Democrat who chairs the House subcommittee that controls military construction spending. Carter is also on the subcommittee.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is logging Republican names into a “Hypocrisy Hall of Fame,” an online catalog of GOP lawmakers who voted against the stimulus package yet are “celebrating the benefits of President Obama’s economic recovery bill in their districts.”
It’s likely Carter’s already in the “Hypocrisy Hall of Fame”. I’ll be he does the same thing once health reform passes without his vote for it.
Eye on Williamson » Lies and the lying liars… said,
February 10, 2010 at 11:30 am
[...] Of course our own John Cater (R-Hypocrite) was in the piece. Highlighted was when he had this to say about a $621 million hospital project, funded by the stimulus, calling it a victory for the economy in central Texas. [...]