Mark Udall: “I cannot vote for this bill. The bill does include some features that I support--but, overall, it does too little to…”

“I cannot vote for this bill. The bill does include some features that I support--but, overall, it does too little to address the real needs of the economy and the country, and it does too much to make our budgetary problems worse. The bill's supporters, reading from a script written by the White House, say that the bill will create jobs. That sounds like good salesmanship, because in fact there is a desperate need for an increase in employment to begin to make up for the millions of jobs that have disappeared over the last two years. But as any salesman knows, a good slogan can't disguise a product that won't perform--and when it comes to creating jobs, I am convinced this bill won't perform as advertised. No analysis I have seen--whether by the Congressional Budget Office, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, or any other expert--supports the claim that enacting this bill will help put very many people back to work anytime soon. Of course, the bill's supporters--like the pitchman in the old TV ad--say we have their word on it. Excuse my doubts, but I don't think that's proof enough. On the other hand, while its claimed benefits are doubtful, there is no doubt about how the bill will affect the federal budget--it will throw it further out of balance and lead to much deeper deficits.”