Thursday, February 18, 2010

On House GOP Website, Republican Leadership Takes Credit For Successful Stimulus Project

By Lee Fang

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the historic American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus. Despite being called a success by most economists and independent analysts, Republicans have mocked the stimulus, calling it a boondoggle that has “failed to create a single job.” Essentially, the GOP has lied about the stimulus in order to justify their unified opposition to its passage.

Yesterday, GOP.gov, the official website for the House Republican caucus, continued the anti-stimulus drumbeat, blaring press releases calling the stimulus a failure. Ironically, posted just above two releases attacking the stimulus, the website features a release from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) taking credit for $35 million dollars in stimulus highway money. Below is a screen shot:

GOP.gov website screen shot

The $35 million in TIGER highway funds were provided by the stimulus McMorris Rodgers tried to kill. McMorris Rodger’s press release, however, claims she was a “champion” in gaining the funding.

Yesterday, ThinkProgress released a report detailing how over half of the GOP caucus, 110 lawmakers — from the House and Senate — have either taken credit for its success or requested more money from the stimulus. As part of the GOP leadership team, McMorris Rodgers helped corral every single House Republican in voting against the stimulus. She is simply the next lawmaker hypocritically trying to “trash and cash” the bill.

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