Dem Leaders Assure “Widespread” Support for Stimulus 2.0: Where are House Dems?

October 17, 2011

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: John Barrow (GA-12), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Lois Capps (CA-23), Dennis Cardoza (CA-18), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Kathy Castor (FL-11), David Cicilline (RI-01), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-20), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), John Garamendi (CA-10), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Kathy Hochul (NY-26), Tim Holden (PA-17), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Steve Israel (NY-02), Bill Keating (MA-10), Ron Kind (WI-03), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Jim Matheson (UT-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Brad Miller (NC-13), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), David Price (NC-04), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Heath Shuler (NC-11), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-13), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-21), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)

Dem Leaders Assure “Widespread” Support for Stimulus 2.0: Where’s Shuler?
DNC Chair Claims Overwhelming Support Behind the Scenes, Dismissing the Aversion to Public Support Among House Democrats

Washington — North Carolina Democrat Heath Shuler continues to remain coy on whether he supports President Obama’s push for more failed stimulus spending and job-killing taxes, at least in public. However, Shuler’s Democrat leaders continue to insist that his fellow House Democrats support the Obama plan overwhelmingly. Since job creation is the top priority for middle-class families in North Carolina, they deserve to know whether Shuler’s solution is more failed stimulus spending fueled by job-destroying taxes.

“Heath Shuler’s Democrat leaders continue to insist that he and his fellow House Democrats fully embrace President Obama’s second stimulus and its job-killing tax hikes,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “With North Carolina’s middle-class families searching for signs of economic relief in the wake of the first failed stimulus attempt, Shuler should at least say whether or not his solution is President Obama’s nearly identical new stimulus attempt.”

House Democrats have been slow to publicly embrace the new stimulus plan as their own:

“President Obama’s jobs package only has three sponsors in the House after the top two Democratic leaders backed it. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) this week officially signed on to the legislation as co-sponsors.

“But other Democrats so far have not co-sponsored the legislation. The only other Democrat who is a co-sponsor is House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.), who introduced the bill on Sept. 21.” (Pete Kasperowicz, “Pelosi, Hoyer bring number of Obama jobs package co-sponsors up to three,” The Hill‘s Floor Action Blog, 10/14/11)

However, the Democrat Party Chair dismissed this, saying support behind the scenes is “widespread” in the House:

“Well, the co-sponsorship is really not reflective of the widespread support that exists in the Democratic Caucus and in the country for the American Jobs Act.” (Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, CNN’s “State of the Union,” 10/16/11)

Support appears to be widespread in Heath Shuler’s House Democrat Caucus – just not in public. Since jobs are the biggest issue concerning middle-class families and small businesses in North Carolina, Shuler should at least declare where he stands on President Obama’s plan to impose more wasteful stimulus spending and job-killing tax hikes.

Dem Leaders Assure “Widespread” Support for Stimulus 2.0: Where are House Dems? http://ow.ly/6ZL03 #madeinwdc

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