Arlen Specter: “I believe we do need a stimulus package. I have not had an opportunity to speak on the bill generally but will do so…”

“I believe we do need a stimulus package. I have not had an opportunity to speak on the bill generally but will do so later today to express concerns I have about not following regular order in having hearings. But I understand the President is concerned about very prompt action. I support this amendment for $25 billion in infrastructure. I believe the bill is too heavily weighted on items which ought to be in the budget process, very important items, but not in the stimulus package, and more heavily directed to infrastructure on projects which are shovel ready. This amendment is directed to that objective. Governor Rendell has assured me and the public that he can have highway jobs ready in 6 months, shovel ready to proceed. So I believe this is what the stimulus ought to be doing. I would have preferred to have seen an offset for this $25 billion. There are funds where it could have been offset; for example, in the State Stabilization Program, $79 billion, which is broad, wide-ranging discretion to the Governors, which ought not to be a part of the stimulus package. We will have an opportunity in the balance of this bill to find the savings of this $25 billion. The overall bill ought to be less than the $819 billion passed by the House. But for the present time, I will vote to waive the budget, looking for an opportunity to find the $25 billion offset later and looking for other opportunities to have an effective stimulus which is not quite so expensive.”