WASHINGTON - Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) issued the following statement on the economic stimulus package:
"I want to congratulate Speaker Pelosi for negotiating a stimulus package that will provide a significant tax cut for lower- and middle-income working families who need help during this time of economic downturn. Through her hard work, millions of additional families who would have been excluded from previous Republican proposals will get a tax rebate check which will help them keep our economy vibrant.
"Surely, the inclusion of a tax rebate to hardworking families who pay employment taxes, sales taxes, and contribute to Social Security and Medicare is not a profile in courage for Republican leaders. Rather, this rebate was targeted to lower- and middle-income families because of the clear guidance of economists who said we must put the money in the hands of those who are most likely to spend it back into the economy.
"However, I do not understand, and cannot accept, the resistance of President Bush and Republican leaders to including an extension of unemployment benefits for those who are without work through no fault of their own. These are the families we need to protect in times of recession, as they struggle to put food on their tables, clothes on their backs and keep a roof over their heads. What economic reasons can Republicans cite for not including them in a stimulus package?
"As one who believes that this package should be bipartisan, with approval from the Congress and Administration, I do not personally intend to do anything that would stop it from moving forward. However, I will continue to fight to make certain we attempt to ease the economic pain of the unemployed as swiftly as possible.
In the interest of moving this package quickly, I expect regular order will be bypassed, providing members an opportunity to share their views on the package during debate on the House Floor."
