After the Senate Added Unrelated Provisions to the Modified Economic Rescue Package, Murphy Calls on House Leadership to Strip Those Out and Get This Done Right

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, after the Senate inserted a slew of provisions unrelated to rescuing the economy, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th District) called on the leadership of the House of Representatives to remove the extraneous measures and get the economic rescue package right. The Senate passed a modified economic rescue package yesterday including the extensions of many tax cuts. Some of these tax cuts will help families and businesses across America, some of the provisions are unrelated to rescuing our slumping economy. Rep. Murphy called for the removal of the unrelated provisions even if it means working more this week. The text of his official statement is below.

Congressman Patrick Murphy’s Statement on Extraneous Provisions in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008:

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join thousands of families in my district who are struggling in this economy and frustrated at how this Congress is handling this rescue package.

A few days ago I stood shoulder to shoulder with Democrats and Republicans in this chamber and the families and businesses in my community to try and prevent an economic disaster.

While the bill we considered on Monday and the one we are voting on again is neither perfect nor popular, we have to do something on behalf of our nation and its citizens. We have to fight for the families now at risk of losing their homes, the seniors who could lose their pensions and the students who are losing their shot at a college education.

Madam Speaker, I hope that our chamber can change the Senate’s bill so that it does not include extraneous provisions that are unrelated to rescuing our economy.

We worked through the weekend last week and I am willing to do it again. We have the opportunity to do this right.

I believe this bill will ultimately protect middle class families, seniors on fixed incomes and students who want to go to college. I believe it also provides property tax relief, incentives for alternative energy and help for small businesses to create jobs.

These are provisions that will help families back at home and put our economy back on track.

On Monday we were derailed by too much bitter partisanship and the Senate’s decision to tack on tax cuts for things like wood arrows, rum and race tracks will only make it harder to achieve the unity we need to help this great country.

I am for tax cuts – and have co-sponsored more than two dozen in the last 22 months, but as I have said before, unrelated spending has no place in emergency legislation.

Madam Speaker, I urge the leadership of this House to strip the unnecessary provisions, pass this bill and send it back to the Senate with a message: we cannot afford to wait to do what’s right.

Thank you Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

For Immediate Release, October 2, 2008
Contact: Adam Abrams, (202) 225-4276