By Billy House
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON -- One of the few Democrats to break with his party, U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd of Monticello Wednesday voted against the $819 billion stimulus package to stimulate the economy through tax breaks and federal spending.
Boyd questioned whether the plan “will only make our economic problems worse.”
“This stimulus package does not address the issues that we know are at least partly responsible for the economic downturn, and that is years of irresponsible fiscal policies rooted in out-of-control spending and borrowing,” said Boyd, in a statement.
Only 10 other members of the House Democratic majority – which crafted the plan – bucked Speaker Nancy Pelosi and joined Republicans in voting against the bill.
The bill passed 244 to 188. Action on a Senate version is expected within days.
The economic rescue bill is designed to address the country’s economic woes with spending of $550 billion for education, roads, water systems and bridges, energy and health care, and providing tax cuts to businesses and individuals.
Overall, the bill would send at least $29.3 billion to Florida through its spending and some tax cuts, according to an analysis by The Center for American Progress, a liberal think-tank. The Senate is to take up its version in a matter of days.
Tampa Bay lawmakers voted along along party lines, like most of their House colleagues.
The area's only Democratic House member, Kathy Castor of Tampa, voted for it, saying “doing nothing would be disastrous.”
But Republican Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor called it “a long-term spending spree.”
Republican Rep. C.W. Bill Young of Indian Shores believe the bill should have been crafted through a more “thoughtful and deliberative process.''
GOP Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville was the only House member not to vote on the bill, citing a “family emergency.” But she would have voted against it, she said, calling it a pork ridden bailout that produces few jobs …”
“We'll be depending on the Chinese and a lot of other countries to finance a program that spends hundreds of millions of dollars on things that have nothing to do with stimulating the economy,” said Republican Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow.
Here’s some of what’s in the bill for Florida, according to lawmakers and analysts.
-- 329,550 jobs saved or created statewide
-- Lower the state's 8.1 percent unemployment rate by 2.4 percentage points through the end of next year.
-- $4.3 billion increase in direct health care money under Medicaid statewide
-- $3.5 billion over two years in aid for state budget shortfalls
-- $1.5 billion for highways and bridges statewide
-- $879 million increase in food stamp benefits through fiscal year 2013
-- $285 million for transit statewide.
-- $654 million for Title I schools (schools with large numbers of students from struggling families)
-- $961 for school modernization, renovation and repair statewide over the next two years,
-- $306 million for campus renovation and repair projects statewide
-- $189 million for the state Clean Water Revolving Fund
-- $30 million for the Head Start program statewide
-- Additional $246 million in fiscal year 2009 for Supplemental Security Income in Florida. SSI is a federal income supplement payment that provides a boost to poor, elderly individuals and to people with disabilities
-- Money to increase Pell Grant awards to $5,550 by 2010-2011
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or (202) 662-7673.
Boyd questioned whether the plan “will only make our economic problems worse.”
“This stimulus package does not address the issues that we know are at least partly responsible for the economic downturn, and that is years of irresponsible fiscal policies rooted in out-of-control spending and borrowing,” said Boyd, in a statement.
Only 10 other members of the House Democratic majority – which crafted the plan – bucked Speaker Nancy Pelosi and joined Republicans in voting against the bill.
The bill passed 244 to 188. Action on a Senate version is expected within days.
The economic rescue bill is designed to address the country’s economic woes with spending of $550 billion for education, roads, water systems and bridges, energy and health care, and providing tax cuts to businesses and individuals.
Overall, the bill would send at least $29.3 billion to Florida through its spending and some tax cuts, according to an analysis by The Center for American Progress, a liberal think-tank. The Senate is to take up its version in a matter of days.
Tampa Bay lawmakers voted along along party lines, like most of their House colleagues.
The area's only Democratic House member, Kathy Castor of Tampa, voted for it, saying “doing nothing would be disastrous.”
But Republican Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor called it “a long-term spending spree.”
Republican Rep. C.W. Bill Young of Indian Shores believe the bill should have been crafted through a more “thoughtful and deliberative process.''
GOP Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville was the only House member not to vote on the bill, citing a “family emergency.” But she would have voted against it, she said, calling it a pork ridden bailout that produces few jobs …”
“We'll be depending on the Chinese and a lot of other countries to finance a program that spends hundreds of millions of dollars on things that have nothing to do with stimulating the economy,” said Republican Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow.
Here’s some of what’s in the bill for Florida, according to lawmakers and analysts.
-- 329,550 jobs saved or created statewide
-- Lower the state's 8.1 percent unemployment rate by 2.4 percentage points through the end of next year.
-- $4.3 billion increase in direct health care money under Medicaid statewide
-- $3.5 billion over two years in aid for state budget shortfalls
-- $1.5 billion for highways and bridges statewide
-- $879 million increase in food stamp benefits through fiscal year 2013
-- $285 million for transit statewide.
-- $654 million for Title I schools (schools with large numbers of students from struggling families)
-- $961 for school modernization, renovation and repair statewide over the next two years,
-- $306 million for campus renovation and repair projects statewide
-- $189 million for the state Clean Water Revolving Fund
-- $30 million for the Head Start program statewide
-- Additional $246 million in fiscal year 2009 for Supplemental Security Income in Florida. SSI is a federal income supplement payment that provides a boost to poor, elderly individuals and to people with disabilities
-- Money to increase Pell Grant awards to $5,550 by 2010-2011
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or (202) 662-7673.