Elijah Lewis: “this so-called economic stimulus package is a sham. It is a shame. It is a disgrace. It is a stimulus charade. A couple…”

“this so-called economic stimulus package is a sham. It is a shame. It is a disgrace. It is a stimulus charade. A couple of weeks ago, the Washington Post published a great editorial about this bill. It said, ``It's the wrong thing to do, a hijacking of the current crisis, economic and otherwise, on behalf of an agenda that long preceded the crisis and has little to do with easing it. These are tax cuts far more likely to stimulate increased campaign contributions than increased economic activity.'' The Washington Post got it right. This so-called economic stimulus package does very little, if anything, to stimulate the economy; and it will hurt us in the long run. This bill, this proposal, does not help a woman, a mother, who lost her husband one week at the World Trade Center, and the next week she lost her job. This proposal is not fair, it is not right, it is not just. It fails to meet the basic human needs of our citizens who are hurting. This bill is business as usual, politics as usual. We have seen these tax cuts before. Since September 11, the American people have been concerned about their safety and the security of their families. That is what we should be focused on, not passing tax cuts for big corporations. It is the same tired old list of tax cuts. They have nothing to do with stimulating the economy or helping us to recover from September 11. This is not the time for irresponsible tax cuts that we cannot afford.”